You've Got it All Wrong
by Muffinsweetz
Summary: Summer vacation begins and the team has nothing to do...until Rei takes them to China, that is. There, 4 new people change their lives and make Tyson face thr biggest challenge of his life:will he risk losing Dragoon for Hilary?
1. summer vacation

**ok ppl this is my very first fic. I really need sum reviews so PLEASE send in! im soo nervous but I hope you enjoy!**

YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG

Chapter 1

**_5…4…3…2…1…_**

"SCHOOL'S OUT!"

Tyson jumped up from his chair, tripped, fell, and turned red at the sound of howling laughter coming from his classmates.

"Tyson Granger!" yells Mr. Yoshi.

Struggling to get to his feet, Tyson replies, "yes, sir?"

"I'd like to see you after class."

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"…and so, Mr. Granger, you are very lucky this is the last day of school, otherwise I would have kept you in for detention. However, I advise you to discipline yourself during the summer and come back to school acting like a disciplined, mature student which I know you can be. Do I make myself clear?"

"…Huh? Oh! Uh…yeah, sure Mr. Yoshi, whatever you say!" and with that, the dark blue-haired boy dashes out of the room, and runs outside to where his spectacled friend Kenny is waiting for him.

"About time you got out here! What took you?" he says, looking up at his friend. Kenny was a short brunette, with his hair covering most of his forehead.

"One of Mr. Yoshi's usual lectures. So, where to?" asks Tyson, as he and Kenny walk out of the school yard.

"I asked the rest of the team to meet us at the Dojo," says Kenny. "We're not planning on any training, but seeing as it's the first day of summer vacation, I thought we could just relax."

" Yes! Finally a day with total relaxation and no homework! Sweet!" yells Tyson, allowing himself to spin around until he gets dizzy and has to stop. The rest of the way home, Tyson quietly daydreams of how much fun he plans on having during summer vacation. Little did he know, this summer would be the most memorable.

As they approached the Dojo, Tyson and Kenny see a car pass by. It wasn't just any car, it was their friend, Hilary's. _But isn't she supposed to be at the Dojo too? _Tyson thought this, slightly curious. But there was no time to think of it any further, for Max had just taken him into a headlock, guffawing himself silly in the process.

"Hey! I'll get you for that, Max!"

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As the car bumped and thumped on the way to the doctor's office, Hilary has her arms crossed and sulking. Why did her parents have to book an appointment now? She had wished to go straight to Tyson's Dojo after school, to see what the team was up to. But no, her mom had come to pick her up, saying that she had an appointment at 3:30 sharp. And for only a checkup too! A total waste of time, thought Hilary.

She sighed, and stared out her window. It was brilliantly sunny, such a beautiful day, and Hilary absentmindedly looks out into the sky, thinking of no one but Tyson.

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"Are we going to train, or are you immature idiots gonna sit out here all day?"

Kai's eyes are cold an icy, silently threatening: _you know I could glare you down, you pathetic bunch of losers._

"Awww, come on Kai! Loosen up a little, there's lots of time 'til the next tournament!" whines Max. Kai simply rolls his eyes.

"Yeah Kai, lose the tough-guy act," adds Rei. "damn, I wish Hilary were here, she could shut you up."

Tyson jerks his head up, suddenly remembering. "Speaking of Hil, we saw her car pass by on our way here. Where'd she go?"

"To the doctor's office, didn't I tell you? She left when you were still with Mr. Yoshi," says Kenny.

"Oh."

"Why are you so interested in where Hilary is?" asks Max, a mischievous smirk decorating on his face.

"No, I was just wondering--,"

"Spill, Tyson. You know you _love_ her," says Rei.

"What? Love who?" asks Tyson, suddenly lost.

"HILARY!" yell Rei, Max, and Kenny in unison.

"What! Me? Like Hilary! No way, why would I? YUCK!" Tyson is on his feet now, his face reddening.

"Yeah, sure Tyson, we believe you!" says Max sarcastically, obviously satisfied. He then turns to Kenny and Rei, and the three of them laugh like no tomorrow. But Tyson wasn't listening, oh no. He was thinking of what he had just heard.

To be honest, he'd never really thought of Hilary in _that_ way before. Of course, he liked to bother her and get her pissed off, he was even able to have decent conversations with her, when the times were right. But only as a friend. No more, no less. Yet, why was he getting this sudden, awkward feeling towards her when he thought of her?

"Well guys, I gotta go. My dad's waiting for me at the shop." And Max leaves.

"I gotta go too. See you tomorrow Kenny, Max, Kai, _lover boy,_" Rei grins at Tyson. Kai silently trudges away. This leaves Kenny.

"I guess I'd better be going too…uh, Tyson, you okay? You look kinda…out of it," observes Kenny.

"Uh…nah, I-I'm fine, don't worry. See you tomorrow?" says Tyson.

"Yeah, tomorrow, first thing. Later,"

"Later." Tyson watches Kenny walk out of the Dojo. He then gets up, and starts towards his room, where he lay on his bed, in an aroma of silence where he could think.

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"TYSON! Wake up, sleepy head, the others will be here soon!"

Tyson reluctantly opens his eyes. "Whagives?" he yawns.

The door to his room slides open and in comes a slender, feminine figure in the shape of someone he knew too well—Hilary.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! How'd you get into my house!" yells Tyson, pulling up his covers to hide his bare chest (A/N: its ONLY his chest that's bare).

"Your grandpa let me in, stupid," says Hilary, turning a slight shade of pink. "just hurry up and get dressed, Rei called and said he had something big to tell us." And with that, she marched out of the room, leaving Tyson to stare after her. He smiled, wondering why he never thought of Hilary as cute before.

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Hilary left Tyson's room and went into the kitchen to get his breakfast ready. Tyson's grandpa thought Hilary was a great cook and said he would love it if she could make his meals everyday. She wished Tyson could say the same thing.

Hilary had been crushing on Tyson ever since she joined the team. Before, she thought of him as a self-centered, stubborn and arrogant boy. But now, she thinks of him as sweet, brave, courageous and fun. Not to mention very good looking. She didn't understand why she felt this way, but she knew that there was something beyond those gleaming brown eyes, that charming smile, that made her heart do a back flip every time she laid her eyes on him. But she had many doubts of Tyson feeling the same way about her. He was, after all, Beyblade World Champ. He could pretty much get any girl he wanted, and what are the odds of him choosing Hilary? And besides, in her opinion, she wasn't very beautiful. She had curves, but not as hot as other girls. Her hair was cut short just above her shoulders, and curled out. She wasn't good enough for someone as gorgeous as Tyson.

She sighed, and walked towards the back of the Dojo, where she found Max,

Kai and Kenny waiting for Rei.

"I wonder what Rei's big surprise is gonna be," Max wonders aloud.

I wonder if he got some big info from Mr. Dickenson about next year's Tournament…" starts Kenny.

"Oh, come on," says Hilary, rolling her eyes. "Is beyblading all you guys think about? I mean, it's a great sport and all, but, its summer! Why not a change?"

"She's right," says Max. "Let's just hope whatever Rei has for us is good."

"Hey, guys! Is Rei here yet? Ah damn, I can't wait for his spill!" says Tyson, as he comes flying outside with a piece of toast in his hand, looking ready to strangle someone for of Rei's absence. But no need, because Rei was just running towards them now, face flushed, and a huge grin on his face.

"Rei, ma man! Ok so spill, what's the news?" asks Tyson. You can always count on him to get straight to the point.

"Its…its…" Rei stutters, struggling to catch his breath.

"Whoa, Rei, calm down!" says Kenny.

"You could get yourself hurt!" gasps Hilary.

"N-no guys," says Rei. "its ok, really. It's just that, oh man! I came to tell you, we're going to China!"

Even Kai looks up curiously.

**Well, that's my first chappie! I hope u liked it and PLZ REVIEWS!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	2. Sudden Disappointment

**Hey everyone its Muffinsweetz here with the next chapter of "You've Got it All Wrong". I'm so happy I got all of your reviews and I'm glad you enjoyed it (although I'd have liked more)! But I think I might take long updating now that summer's hit because I'll be going places and yeah…I wish I had a laptop! But I'll try my best to update as soon as I can, though. So, anyways, on with Chappie 2!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.**

Sudden Disappointment

"CHINA!" yells everyone in unison (except Rei and Kai).

"Yeah, the White Tigers are inviting us there. I just got a call from Mariah. We're expected to be there in three days!" says Rei.

"Oh, yey, Mariah! I can't wait to see her again!" says Hilary, getting all excited.

"You're not the only one," Tyson smirks, looking at Rei. Rei blushes.

"Great! China! I can finally see the White Tiger team's beyblades. I've wanted to study them up close," says Kenny.

"Awright, China! So Kai, you wanna come along?" asks Max.

Kai simply shrugs. "Sure, whatever," is all he utters. So basically, everyone was satisfied and wanted to go. Atleast, in Tyson's eyes.

"Ok then, China it is! We'll all meet back here in two days, packed and ready to go! Agreed?" he says.

"Agreed!"

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It was raining hard as Tyson was walking along the path towards Hilary's house, which wasn't far. Now, Tyson had given this a fair bit of thought, and, decided that he does have a small crush on Hilary. Ok, maybe not small. But its still a crush, so he planned to not say anything, mostly because he was scared of rejection. And also because he knows it ain't cool to show up in front of a girl with your face beet red, which he still needs to practice on. Today, he was going to Hilary's house for a friendly visit, to see if she had started packing yet.

Finally, he was at her door and knocking. The door opens and he's greeted by a very surprised looking Hilary. "Oh! Tyson, I never expected you to come. Look at you, you're soaked! Come in and get dry," she says. She then leads him into her living room, where she has Tyson sit, then hands him a towel.

"I can't believe it, such a heavy downpour in the summer!" she says, seating herself on a chair.

Tyson chuckles, brushing his wet hair with the towel Hilary gave him. "Calm down, Hil, its no tornado! And I'm not injured or anything so you don't have to worry, hehe. But thanks," he adds hastily, seeing the look on her face.

Hilary smiles. "No problem. Actually, I'm glad you came. I was hoping for some company. When it rains, I feel so trapped…" she trails off, looking out her window.

Tyson, feeling curious, asks, "Is anything wrong, Hil?"

"No."

Not convinced, he gives her a quizzical look. When she sees him, she starts giggling. "What?" asks Tyson.

"Tyson, you never made that face before!"

"So?"

"So, ha ha, you, look funny!"

She then throws her head back and starts laughing hysterically. "Ok, ok, you've had your laugh, not funny anymore…"says Tyson.

"Ok…ok… I'm ok," she says, still smiling. To be frank, Tyson loved it when she laughed, because it made her look even more beautiful. Her smile was her best feature. And her eyes, too.

"So, what brings you here?" she asks.

"Oh, yeah, I came to see what you're taking to China. You know, gifts and stuff, maybe," he says.

Suddenly, Hilary's smile vanishes. "Um, about that. Tyson…I really hate to say this, but…I won't be going to China with you guys."

His heart does a back flip. "What? Not going? But…why!" he asks.

She looked down at her hands. "When I told my parents about it, they said they were sorry but they just couldn't let me go, because I've never been anywhere so far away without them. You know how protective my parents are, Tyson. They can't trust me being on my own," she looks up at him, and Tyson could see tears in her eyes. "I was really looking forward to going…"

Tyson couldn't believe it. "So this is why you feel so 'trapped'. Its not the rain, its this, isn't it?"

"Yes."

It was his turn to look down at his hands. How could this happen? How could a perfect plan to go on vacation with all his friends be put down like this? Did her parents think Hilary might have an affair, or something? Is that why they can't trust her? This was crazy, Tyson thought. He knew he had to do something.

"Maybe I can talk with your parents, you know, convince them to let you go," he suggests. "I mean, we're all gonna be there, we can protect you if anything goes wrong. But what are the odds of that?"

Hilary smiles. "You know how my parents are. When they make a decision, its clear there's no way anyone can change their minds. But thanks anyway for trying." After this neither of them has anything to say, so the two of them sit there, lost in their own thoughts. Then Hilary remembers something. "Let's go upstairs. I have a favor for you," she says, getting up. Tyson follows, a bit puzzled, but curious.

Hilary leads the way to her room. Once inside, she asks Tyson to sit down, then starts rummaging through a few drawers. Tyson's curiosity grew and he just had to ask, "Hil, what are you looking for?"

"Just a little something I—_aha!_ Found it." She turns to face him, with a small pink box in her hand. "I bought this for Mariah. But since I'm not going, could you give this to her for me please? It would mean a lot."

"What is it?" Tyson asks. Hilary hands it to him, and he opens the box. Inside is a sparkling necklace with a charm. The charm read, "Friends Forever". Tyson looks up at her and smiles. "Ok, I'll give it to her for you."

"Thanks," she says with a smile. A long, awkward pause follows. Tyson could feel his cheeks growing warm for some reason, so he speaks up.

"What time is it?"

"Oh, its almost six. My mum will be here soon," says Hilary. Then her eyes light up. "Hey, you wanna stay for supper?" she asks.

"Sure!" says Tyson. But its not hunger that tempts him to stay longer. It's the fact that he'll be with Hilary that makes supper sound a lot more appetizing.

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**Well, that's the end of chappie 2! I hope you liked it and please send a review!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	3. Look Who Came to Pick Us Up

**Hey everyone! I'm back with chapter 3! Sorry I took long to update. I got into a lot of other fics, and I forgot about mine! Ok, just to clear something up, in this story, Rei and Mariah are already together. Yes, _together_. **

**Ok so on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade. But I do own Mako Tatsuya. You'll see what I mean.**

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Look Who Came to Pick Us Up

"Tyson, quit snoring and look out your window!" Max, who was sitting next to him, was shaking Tyson so fiercely people began to stare.

Tyson, who was dreaming of something that had to do with pizza, grunted and awoke with a start, glaring at Max.

"Ugh, okay, okay, I'm awake! This had better be good…" he said, and looked out his window. Once he did, he didn't regret it. For there it was: China!

"Cool! Hey Rei, when are we gonna land?" asked Tyson, no sleep left in him. He gave Rei, who was sitting in the seat in front of him, a light thwack on the head.

Rei, ignoring the slight sting from the contact, said, "In about five minutes, if you can last that long without dying of impatience." Of course, he can get back at Tyson later. Right now he was too busy anxiously awaiting the moment when he could see his old friends again…

Wait. It isn't normal to not hear Tyson retaliate. Rei turned his head around to look at him. Tyson was staring out his window again, but his eyes looked…well, unfocused.

'_Is he looking down at China, or is he thinking of something else…?' _Rei

wondered.

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As Tyson looked at the clouds passing by him, he felt a longing for something, something that made him feel incomplete (A/N: not in a sexual way, mind. My story will not have that!) He sighed. '_Thinking of Hilary again, are we?' _said a voice inside him. Well, he thought, it's not my fault. I just can't help it if I…miss her…

**Flashback**

_"Tyson, lil' dude, get up! You're friends are here!"_

_"Ughh…Grandpa, what time is it?"_

_"6:00 am, you lazy boy, time to be up n' on your way to China!"_

_"WHAT?" Tyson yelled, as he threw his bed covers off him, and ran into the bathroom, all the while freaking, "I'm late! I'm late!" Sounds like Hilary, if you really take it in._

_Ten minutes later, Tyson met up with the others, who were sitting outside in front of the dojo._

_"You're not late, Tyson, so calm down," said Kenny, amused at Tyson's Hilary-ish behaviour. "We still have half an hour until we go to the airport."_

_"So then why'd you make me get up so early? I could've eaten a better breakfast," Tyson complained, taking a bite from his half-eaten waffle. "What are we gonna do for half an hour anyway?" _

_"Well, Kai had the idea of saying our last minute goodbyes to Hilary," said Max._

_Tyson's reaction to this was, well…odd: he looked at Max, then dumped his waffle in the dirt, muttering something about no longer being hungry. He rounded on Kai._

_"Kai, huh? I never knew you felt that way ol' buddy," said Tyson, though his tone was colder than his words._

_Kai, however, simply glared at him and said, "Don't be ridiculous. I only compete with you at beyblading, not girls. I don't have time for pointless puppy love." He then smirked, clearly satisfied that he both shut Tyson up **and** made him blush. He turned and walked out of the dojo._

_"Guess we better follow him," said Rei, looking rather amused._

_As the guys approached Hilary's house, they saw her sitting on her front porch, looking very gloomy. When she saw them, she smiled and waved, but her eyes didn't give their usual happy glow._

_One by one, each Bladebreaker went up and gave Hilary a hug, along with a "see you soon," or "wish you could come," with the exception of Kai, who merely shook her hand, his face expressionless. Last to go was Tyson._

_Right at that moment, he couldn't feel his legs. It had hit him: how would he feel to not see Hilary for a full two weeks?_

_Then Kenny gave Tyson a look that urged him to go on. And so, Tyson walked up the steps and was standing in front of Hilary. He let out his hand, which she took, looking slightly crestfallen. Then, without warning, he pulled her into a great bear hug._

_Hilary was taken aback by this sudden movement, but then smiled into his shoulder and said, "I'm gonna miss you Tyson."_

"_I'm gonna miss you too Hil," he said, burying his face in her soft, brown hair, savouring the moment._

**End Flashback**

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Tyson's thoughts about the morning of the previous day were erased from his mind by a loud screeching noise and the airplane shaking furiously. Beside him, Max had his hands over his ears. "I c-can't hear-r a th-thing!" he said.

Kenny, who was sitting behind them, was squashed by the overweight man sitting beside him. Apparently, the man was still asleep, and, due to the plane's shaking, he had been pushed to his left (which was where poor Kenny was seated) and hadn't moved since. Rei was holding on to his seat, desperate not to fall. Kai, who was grumpy because the noise had interrupted his nap, did the same.

Finally, just when Max was turning the slightest shade of green, the plane came to a stuttering halt.

"Uugghh…I think I'm gonna be sick."

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The airport in China (A/N: sorry, I dunno any names of airports in China) was huge. Here and there were gift shops filled with souvenirs, and waiting areas with tempting armchairs. Food courts filled with people were nearby, which Rei believed had just made Tyson hungry. His hunch was true, when Tyson asked if they could 'grab a snack'.

"Ughh, Tyson, _please_ don't mention food right now," said Max in a pleading voice. He was being supported by Tyson and Kenny, his face still green. Although he didn't throw up like he said he would, he still looked nauseous enough to let it out any minute. Kenny and Tyson, noticing this, took caution and were ready to run if Max showed any signs of throwing.

"He should sit down," said Kai. He had taken up the rear ever since they had gotten off the plane, as if too embarrassed to be seen with them.

"Kai's right," said Rei, leading the others to a waiting area. He was always one to suck up to Kai. But even after sitting for a while, Max just kept getting greener. Now, not even the wise Kai could think of what to do. Until…

"Rei, do you have any coins on you?" asked Kenny.

Rei was bewildered. "Chief, this isn't the time for food! We have to get Max to--"

Kenny cut through his sentence. "That's why I need the coins, Rei! Don't forget," he added in an undertone, so Tyson wouldn't overhear, "you're talking to Kenny, not Tyson."

Rei chuckled, then handed him the money. Kenny walked over to the nearest phone booth, the one where you could call long-distance calls.

"What're you planning to do?" asked Tyson.

"Call Hilary," said Kenny, dialing her number. It ringed for a few seconds, and then someone picked up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Hilary."

"_Kenny! Oh, it's so good to hear from you! How are you? And the others? Did you land safely?"_

_"_Yes, yes, we landed fine and the others are doing well—oh, that is, except…"

_"Except what? Kenny, what is it?"_

"See, Max is a little sick from the landing. He's all green. I thought maybe you might know what to do?"

_"WHAT! (_At this point, Kenny had to put space between his ear and the receiver) _Maxy is sick? Oh no, I knew I should've come, I had a feeling something might happen, but I--"_

_"_Its okay, Hilary, calm down! It's nothing serious; we just don't know what to do."

(Pause, and then…)

_"Let him throw up."_

"I—what?"

_"That's right, let him throw up. Then give him some water and something to eat."_

_"_Are you sure?"

_"Kenny, who's the expert here?"_

"You…"

_"Exactly. Now do as I say. He'll be feeling better in no time."_

"Ok. Thanks Hilary."

_"Anything else? Are the others ok?"_

"Yeah, don't worry, the others are doing fine."

_"Um…and Tyson?"_

_"_Tyson's alright, too."

_"Oh. Well, say hi to the guys for me, ok?"_

_"_Sure thing."

_"Ok, well, see you soon…bye."_

_"_Bye. And thanks again."

_"No problem."_

"Bye."

_"Bye."_

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"What'd she say?" asked Rei.

"She said to let him throw, give him water, then feed him food," said Kenny. "And she also says hi to everyone."

"Anything else?" asked Tyson, looking hopeful.

"No…" said Kenny, hesitating. He decided not to mention Hilary asking about Tyson. She probably didn't want him to know, and it wasn't really much anyway. After this, Tyson bravely took the Beastboy version of Max (A/N: you know, Beastboy from Teen Titans, hehe) to the washroom to let him throw up. When they came back, they all sat down for a snack at one of the food courts, giving Max the water and nourishment Hilary had recommended for him.

"I'm gonna buy Hilary a gift for this," he said, his face no longer green.

"Where is she?" said Rei, looking at his watch.

"Uh, she's in Tokyo, remember?" said Tyson, looking at him with a face that said, 'duh'.

"No, idiot, I meant Mariah," said Rei. He had stood up and was now pacing anxiously. "She's supposed to come get us, but she's late."

As if on cue, they heard a bubbly feminine voice calling out to them. Rei spun around, just in time to see a dash of pink running towards him, arms outstretched.

"Rei!" squealed Mariah, flinging her arms around his neck. "It's been _too_ long!"

"I missed you too Mariah," said Rei, grinning down at her and planting a kiss on her lips. Behind him, he heard snickering, then three loud '_thump'_s and Kai's voice saying, "grow up." After a few seconds he and Mariah let go, and Mariah turned to greet the rest of them.

"It's so great to see you all!" she said, ignoring the huge bumps now protruding from Tyson's, Max's, and Kenny's heads. But then she noticed that someone was missing. "Wait…where's Hilary?"

Tyson knew he was the one to answer, seeing as everyone was looking at him. "She couldn't make it. Her parents wouldn't let her come."

Mariah looked crestfallen. "Oh," was all she could say. Silence followed. And then…

"_Mariah!_" called another voice. Startled, the team looked around to find someone running up to them, face flushed.

"Ohh…phew…Mariah, you ran off so fast I couldn't catch up…," said the girl. She was about the same age as them, tall, with shoulder-length maroon hair and catlike eyes similar to Rei's and Mariah's, but they were bright green. She was wearing a black t-shirt under an army coloured vest, and army shorts.

All was quiet for a few seconds, until Rei asked, "uhh…who…?" he looked at Mariah inquiringly.

"Oh, right. Guys, this is Mako Tatsuya. She and her sisters are our new neighbours. Mako, these are my friends, the Bladebreakers: Rei, Max, Kenny, Kai, and Tyson," said Mariah, pointing at each person as she went.

"Of course," said Mako, taking in their appearances. "I've heard all about you guys! The World Champion Team, oh, I can't believe it!" Then her eyes rested on Tyson for a while longer than on the others. Noticing this, Tyson looked away, feeling uncomfortable. The look in Mako's eyes looked…hungry.

Mariah broke the silence. "Okay, so, now that we all know each other, let's get going!" and she led them out of the airport. The entire way, Mako kept stealing glances at Tyson with that hungry look in her eyes. For Tyson, it was downright freaky.

Who is she?

Where did she come from?

What does she want with him?

Well, whoever she was, Tyson decided he would keep a good distance away from her.

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**Ok, that's it for this chapter! I was debating whether or not I should leave it here or keep going, but since its been long updating, I decided I'd leave it here. Next chapter, you'll learn more about Mako and her sisters. **

**REVIEWS PLZ!**

**Muffinsweetz out**


	4. Advice and the Lionesses

**Hello again everyone! This chapter is the longest one I've written so far and it took me quite a while to get it all typed up. Thanks go to all of you who reviewed, I appreciate it!**

**I got to thinking, at the end of the Beyblade manga, it shows Tyson's son Makoto, Kai's son Gou, and Rei/Mariah's daughter Rin. But it doesn't show the wives of Tyson or Kai, so we don't really know who Hilary ends up with. I thought that was really sad. (If I'm wrong about any of this, I would be very happy if someone could correct me. I really hope I'm wrong about this).**

**This chapter is in Mariah's P.O.V. and has some Rei/Mariah stuff in it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, but I wish I did. If I did, I would've created Hilary Granger and a Makoto with ruby eyes.**

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Advice and the Lionesses

Phew…walking can be very, very tiring. Next time I go to pick someone up from the airport, I'll bring a mechanic along with me.

The taxi-van broke down. Complete bullshit! If my pedicure is ruined once we get home, I swear I'll sue that dumb driver.

Oh well, I shouldn't be too moody. I mean, I was just reunited with my boyfriend. Speaking of which, he's walking right beside me. I turn to look at him. He sees me and smiles, which makes my heart melt away. I know, I should be used to this, but he's just so dreamy.

"Tired?" he asks, taking hold of my hand.

I give him a sweet smile. "I've been through worse," I say. You know, being a beyblader and all.

Looking away from Rei, I turn to my left. Mako is beside me, looking just as tired, the poor girl. As I watch, she glances behind her. Figures, she's looking at Tyson again. I've noticed her doing that the entire way here. I hope she's not hitting on him. She'll fall for any cute guy, not that I think Tyson's any cute. But Hilary sure thinks so and I know she'd be devastated if he were to go off with another girl. I sure do miss her. I had so many plans for us and now she's not here. Bummer.

Now don't get me wrong about Mako. She's not a bad person or anything. Frankly, I've learned she's a real sweet girl in these two months that I've known her. She just gets carried away when her eyes land on male prey, and it should be expected with Tyson, seeing as he's World Champ.

"Are we there yet?" snaps an annoyed voice coming from none other than Kai. How can he be so irritable? I mean, he can be a good guy when he wants to, just not too often. Jeeze, get a life.

"Its right up there," I reply. Sure enough I can see the White Tiger home base. But we've got a big surprise for the Bladebreakers…

"What is that!" cries Tyson. I can't blame him. When Lee showed me, I nearly fainted myself.

Soon enough, we were right in front of a huge house, bigger than the others in the village, perked right beside ours. It was built especially for our guests, with two floors, five bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room. It even had an attic, and each room was double the size of any in our village. In my opinion, it was a true luxury.

"So," I say, turning to everyone. "What do you think?"

"I think it's awesome," says Max gaping at the building. The others nod in agreement, grinning broadly. But before anyone can say anything else, a voice calls out to us, and we can here the sound of footsteps…

And my view of, well, everything is blocked by a huge, yet warm body squished against my own. I could instantly tell it was my friend and teammate, Gary, giving me a giant hug.

"Mariah come home!" he cries happily. I hug him back.

"I sure did. And I brought along friends, remember?" I say as I let go to smile up at him. Literally, seeing as he's so big and tall. He sees the others, and goes over to hug each of them. For a giant of a guy, he had the sweetest heart.

"It's great to see you, buddy," says Rei, grinning at his friend. "But where are Lee and Kevin?"

"Lee and Kevin go on business trip," says Gary, his voice faltering. "Gary miss them."

"Business trip?" asks Tyson, looking at me, clearly lost. But before I can answer Mako pipes up for the first time since the introduction at the airport.

"It's not exactly a business trip," she says, looking as if happy to have an excuse to look at Tyson. But that's just me. "They actually went to deal with some business going on in another village. See, when my sisters and I came here, we had no place to go. We were being followed by some angry people from our village, where we used to live. So we took refuge at the White Tigers', and told them everything that happened, and we thought we'd be safe here. But Lee said it was still dangerous for us so he and Kevin went back to our village to investigate what it was that the villagers had against us, and try to stop them from coming."

"What exactly is 'everything that happened'?" asks Kenny. But before Mako can reply, I cut in.

"You know guys; I know this is really interesting to you, but how about we go inside now? Once we're all comfy and settled, we can discuss this situation. And besides," I add, giving Mako a signaling look, "we didn't even meet the rest of the Tatsuya's yet. Speaking of which, we're having lunch there."

Mako, who caught my signal, said, "Mariah's right. I'll see you guys later then." Looking slightly embarrassed, yet showing signs that she wanted to stay, she ran off towards her home, which was beside ours. I know she's going to confront me later, though, for not letting her flirt with the guys, or Tyson.

I turn my gaze towards everyone else, and see that they're all staring at me expectantly. Oops, forgot about them. "Okay, everyone, get yourselves inside. Your rooms are all upstairs; you'll see your names on designated doors. Gary, I want you to go help them out. I'll be with Mako and the other girls."

As Gary took the guys into the guest house, I sprinted towards the Tatsuya household. I was greeted at the door by Jade Tatsuya.

"Are they here?" she asked, looking up at me curiously. Seriously, for a girl only one year younger than me, she was abnormally short.

I nod at her. "Yeah they're here. How's Rika with the cooking?" At this, Jade giggles.

"It's _horrible. _You should see the kitchen! I guess she was right when she said she wasn't a cook," Jade led me inside, where I could indeed smell something like burnt rubber.

We walked into the kitchen to see Rika, her hair askew; trying desperately to cook whatever was in the pot on the stove. The countertop was covered with a slimy substance of who-knows-what, along with burnt pots and pans looking as if they were thrown into the sink. As I look at Rika again, she's glaring at me with cold green eyes. Seriously, this girl reminds me of Kai sometimes.

"I told you I was no cook."

I sweat drop. "Well," I say, trying hard not to laugh, "this mess can't clean itself up."

XXX

After getting the kitchen cleaned, along with Rika, I assigned the stove to Yumi. Apparently, Rika's 'lunch' didn't turn out so bad and Yumi said she could fix it in no time.

"You should've let me cook in the first place," she said, grinning. Tying up her long hair, she got started.

"Great," I say. Then I remember someone. "Say, where's Mako?"

"She's in her room," says Jade, smirking. "Apparently, she's sulking about something."

I run upstairs and burst into Mako's bedroom. "Look, Mako, I'm sorry you didn't get your chance to flirt but I had to—what's that?"

For, Mako, who was slightly surprised to see me coming in, was holding something in her hands, behind her back. "Uh, nothing," she says. Uh huh, right. Unconvinced, I give her a suspicious look. "Really!" she says. "So why'd you come bursting in anyway?" she adds.

"Don't try to change the subject," I say, narrowing my eyes at her. Seriously, she does _not_ know me well enough.

I keep glaring at her until she gives in. Ha! That always works. Opening her clenched hand, she showed me a small metal blade in her palm. Of course, I should've known.

"You really are obsessed with that blade, aren't you?" I say rolling my eyes. Mako glares at me, about to say something, but not before I do. "Anyways, I need you to go help Jade with the table. I'm gonna go get the guys, okay?"

She nods, and walks out of the room. I follow her downstairs and I'm out the door again.

Seriously, I am so sure I'll lose a pound or two today, the stairs I've been climbing. Finally at the top of the guest house, I knock on the first door I see: Tyson's.

"Still not done?" I ask, once he had let me inside. Honestly, boys are so slow. I'd be done unpacking by now if it were to be me.

He smiles sheepishly. "Guess not."

I roll my eyes. "Where's Hilary when you need her?" I pout mockingly. Expecting Tyson to retort angrily, I'm surprised when I see his face sadden.

Then realization hit me across the face. Well, not literally, or that would hurt…but then that's not possible…is it…? Oh, whatever! "You miss her, don't you?" I ask. If he says yes, then I know for sure that he likes Hilary.

Tyson looks at me incredulously. "Am I that transparent?"

Ha! I knew it! "You sure are," I say, smirking. "So when are you gonna tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

Oh please. "Duh, that you like her!"

He blushes. "Who said I ever liked her?"

"Tyson, don't try to play it off."

"All I said was that I missed her!"

"Exactly!"

"That proves nothing."

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"YES IT DOES!"

"NO IT DOESN'T!"

"Oh, my _bad."_

The voice from the doorway makes Tyson and me pause our little quarrel. The voice belongs to Max, who is standing at the door, staring at us, bewildered.

"Sorry," he says, smiling apologetically. "But for a second, I thought Hilary was here."

"How?" ask Tyson and me in unison.

"Well," says Max, a definite smirk playing on his lips. "I've only ever heard such bickering when it's between Tyson and Hilary. Uh, sorry, I guess I'll be...going now."

Once Max was gone, I fixed Tyson with a skeptical look. "Everyone else thinks so, too."

"Thinks what?" he says, his face more nervous than ever. It's really amusing, you know.

Tyson sees my glare harden, and it's clearly visible that he's trying to find a way out of this. His face makes me feel so brutally…evil…hehehe…

Tyson sighs and I look up. "Okay, I guess I do…sorta…like her."

I give a victory yell, saying, "finally!" before noticing what I was doing and stop abruptly, embarrassed. Tyson raises an eyebrow at me, and then says, "By the way, now that we have that settled, I have something for you," and he starts searching his bag.

Something for me? Wow, never knew he cared…

"Here," he says, handing me a small, yet pretty box. I give him a weird look. "It's from Hilary," he adds hastily, seeing my face.

"Oh," I say, opening the box. Inside is a gorgeous necklace with the most adorable charm. "Oh, how thoughtful of her," I say. And it's true. This girl takes friendship so seriously. My heart is now overwhelmed with emotion. I look at Tyson.

"Give, her my thanks, kay?" I say softly.

"Sure."

"So when are you gonna tell her how you feel?" I ask again, as I put the necklace on.

He sighs. "I can't."

I look at him, astonished. "You can't? But, why?"

"Rejection," he says simply.

I'm still not getting it. Seeing this, Tyson explains himself. "I'm scared of rejection. What if Hilary doesn't feel the same way I feel about her? And if I were to tell her, how would she take it? What if our friendship can't survive it? I just can't take that risk."

Damn it. I hate it when this happens. I can fix this, you know. Hilary told me way back that she had a crush on Tyson, but she told me not to tell him. Heck, she told me not to tell anyone. And now Tyson says he likes her, but I can't tell him that she likes him back, because she told me not to. But if I do, I could bring them together…but then Hilary wouldn't trust me anymore…oh, why me?

Then I get to thinking. Maybe, I could lead Tyson to tell her. But how? Hmm….aha! I've got it.

"Tyson, do you wanna know how Rei and I got together?" I ask, looking him straight in the eye.

"Uh, okay…," he says. Clearly he doesn't understand what I'm about to do. But my voice is confident, and I really hope this works. I take a deep breath, and continue with my little story.

"Ever since we were young, I had always had a deep love for Rei. To me, he was sweet, intelligent, brave, and absolutely gorgeous. And because he was one of my best friends, I believed that someday, we would end up together, and it seemed perfectly right. But I never knew I had these feelings until a long time after, when he left the White Tigers, without even saying goodbye.

Ever since that day, I felt extremely lonely. It was like someone had punched right through my heart and left a hole there, where Rei had been. That's when I realized that I loved him, right from the bottom of my heart, and the fact that he wasn't there for me to tell him was another pain I had to go through. I hated myself for not realizing it earlier. But then, just when I was about to give up on him and go on with my life, he returned in that alleyway and all my feelings reappeared, and, although I showed anger when I saw him with you guys, inside me, I was overwhelmed with joy.

So, I vowed to myself that, now I knew where he was, I would tell him my feelings. And that day came when I followed Rei up that mountain, do you remember? I was so confident with myself that I didn't think of what the outcome would be. That is, not until I faced him. My heart had frozen and I hesitated, thinking that he would never talk to me again if he knew I felt the way I did. While you and Rei were having your beybattle on that mountain, I was debating with myself. Part of me wanted to say something, and part of me warned to stay quiet. But it was too late and the battle was over, and I couldn't work up the courage to tell him, and so I didn't.

But then, as time went by, I felt more and more lonely and I decided that I couldn't hold it in anymore. My love was so strong that I no longer cared what he would say afterwards, I just wanted to let him know how I felt. I didn't care about the chance of rejection because I believed there was still the chance he could love me back.

And so, I took that risk after the Asian tournament, and I told him. Told Rei my feelings since childhood. And guess what? He told me he felt the same!"

I pause, and look at Tyson closely, to see if anything got to him. But he still looked confused.

"Look, Mariah, this is a really great love story and all, but how's it gonna help my situation?"

Oh, _please._ Now I really do understand why Hilary has to go through with yelling at Tyson so much. Nothing seems to get through his head!

"Tyson, don't you get it? What I'm trying to tell you is to face your fears! I know you have enough courage in you, I've seen it! Take the chance, like I did, and I'm sure the outcome will be right!"

"I dunno…"

"I'm sure Hilary feels the same way for you."

"What makes you say that?" asks Tyson, but I see I've gotten his attention.

I grin at him. "The signs are everywhere. Everyone thinks you and Hilary are in love. Who knows, she's probably waiting for you to tell her," I say, at the edge of my seat. Hopefully, hopefully…

"Okay, fine…I'll see if I can tell her. Somehow. But don't tell anyone," he says, giving me a smile Hilary would have fainted at.

I nod. "Finally," I sigh. Wow. If beyblading doesn't work out for me, I'll take up the job of being an advisor.

A sound at the door make the both of us look up. It's Rei.

"What are you two doing?" he asks, eyeing us suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing but a conversation between friends," I say, smiling at him.

"Okay, well, just wanted to let you know we're all ready to go to lunch," says Rei, still looking suspicious.

That makes Tyson jump; he's obviously hungry. "Food!" and with that, he's out the door in a blink.

Rei sweat drops, but recovers when I touch his arm. "Shall we?" I ask.

He smiles, and we walk down together. "So, what were you and Tyson doing, anyway?"

I roll my eyes. "I was just giving him advice for his, um, love problems," I say, giving Rei a wink. When I see that he's relieved, I add, "Rei, you know Tyson belongs with Hilary, and I belong with you, so there's no need to get suspicious."

He's about to say something else, but before he can, I place a finger to his lips. He takes it, along with the other fingers of my hand, and smiles. "I know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Max, Kenny, and even Kai (though he's not showing it) are looking at the girls in awe.

I must admit, they do look adorable, standing there side by side, maroon heads shining in the sun.

The tallest and oldest would be Rika, with her midway-length hair tied in a tight ponytail as usual. About a couple inches shorter, Mako and Yumi, who are twins, stand at the same height. Mako likes keeping her short hair out, while Yuki occasionally ties her waist-length hair up, but not today. Shortest, youngest, yet feistiest, would be Jade, with her shoulder-length hair tied into two pigtails, like always.

I've already introduced everyone, and now we're all smiling at each other, which is starting to annoy me. Finally, Gary breaks the silence. "Me hungry."

"Me too," says Tyson. Kenny gives him a sharp nudge, frowning. "What?" asks Tyson, wearing an innocent face. Jade giggles.

"Let's go inside," suggests Mako, grinning.

"Great meal," says Max. "My compliments to the chef."

"That would be me," says Yumi shyly. Max smiles at her, and she blushes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rika roll her eyes, and, surprisingly, Kai eyeing her with some interest. I turn my head towards Jade, who is chatting away with a blushing Kenny. Hmmm…couples, I see.

Rei is telling Tyson about tourist attractions in China, and Mako wants me to tell her how Tyson won his last tournament. Just when I'm about to begin, Jade speaks up.

Looking at Mako, she says, "Kenny says you were telling everyone about our village problem."

At once all eyes and attention are on Mako. "I guess we should tell them," she says, speaking to her sisters. They all nod back at her, their faces looking serious, and she begins.

"It all started two months ago, in the village in which we lived. Our village was always very poor, but it was known more for the shrine which stands in the centre of the village, called the 'Shrine of the Lioness'.

"Shrine of the Lioness?" asks Max.

Yumi answers him. "The shrine got its name from the stone lioness on the main wall inside."

"In front of the stone statue are four stones," continues Mako. "Legend has it that these four stones hold unimaginable power and strength, coming from the Lioness herself. But nobody was ever able to figure out how to open the powers within, so the shrine was built to keep the stones safe.

"We would always go to the shrine, for special occasions and such," says Rika. "But one day, we took our beyblades with us."

"You have beyblades?" asks Tyson, surprised. Rika nods.

"But why'd you take them in the shrine?" asks Rei. Jade answers him.

"It was sort of an accident. See, we were actually on our way to this gathering that was going on. Kids from the village had all gotten together to beyblade, and we wanted to join in. but when we were passing the shrine, we noticed a bright, golden glow, coming from inside."

"Naturally, we went into the shrine, to see where the light was coming from," says Mako. "The four stones and the statue were glowing."

"We walked towards them, to get a closer look," says Yumi. "Our blades where clenched in our hands and once we were close enough, a stream of light shot out of each stone, and went right into each of our blades."

"So," says Kenny nervously. "Does that mean, the power in the stones, are now inside your beyblades?"

They all nod. "I think you should show them," I suggest to the girls. They take out their blades, and at once all heads are together as the guys examine them.

"So the Lioness is a bitbeast?" asks Max.

"Yes," says Yumi. "Her name is Liona."

"But how can the power of one bitbeast be in four different blades?" asks Kai.

"Liona had divided herself into four parts," says Rika. "My blade holds her Strength, Mako's holds her Beauty, Yumi's holds her Grace, and Jade's holds her Cunning."

"Cool!" exclaims Tyson.

"Amazing," says Rei. "I never knew that was possible."

"But you said that villagers were following you," says Kenny.

"Oh, yeah," says Mako, looking uneasy. "When the villagers saw the four stones were 'destroyed', they were furious. We tried to tell them what happened, and that it wasn't our fault, but they wouldn't listen. So they ran us out of town. But even after we left, a handful of angry villagers wanted us to be dead. So they started following us."

"That's horrible," says Max sympathetically.

"We were devastated at first, but then, we became confident with ourselves. The Lioness had clearly chosen us for something, so we didn't do anything wrong," says Rika.

"That's good to hear," says Rei, smiling.

"We're planning on entering the next tournament," says Jade. Everyone looks at her. "We're gonna call ourselves the Lionesses."

"Well then, we'll be looking forward to battling you!" says Tyson, grinning broadly. The girls smile at him.

I'm glad everyone's getting along with each other. Hopefully, we can have fun these two weeks.

**End Mariah's P.O.V.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the sun shone through her open window, a girl lay on her bed, reading a book. Only because there was nothing better to do. Her friends had all gone on vacation, and she was left here to die of boredom. She had decided to just let the days pass, and two weeks would be over in no time. But it seemed to be taking an eternity.

"Hilary!" called a voice from downstairs. It was her dad. Marking her page with a bookmark, she slid off her bed reluctantly, smoothed her short brown hair, and walked down the steps.

Her dad had called her from the kitchen.

"Yes, Dad?" She said, entering. Her dad was seated at the dining table, and her mom was there too.

"Hilary, dear, we've noticed how upset you've been about not being able to go to China with your friends, and we've decided to…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Cliffy! End of this chapter, you're gonna have to wait 'til the next!**

**REVIEWS PLZ!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	5. Getting to Know Her

**So sorry for the really long delay. I would blame school, but at some points I was just too lazy. This chapter is pretty short, and in my eyes, not so great. But, whatever. Be warned: this chapter has a few Mako/Tyson moments…or maybe its one long moment…I dunno! Just don't hate me for it, cuz I had to!**

**P.S. hopefully, the ending will be satisfying…oh, and by the way, this chapter takes place two days after the day the Bladebreakers arrive in China. **

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Getting to Know Her

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry Tyson, did that hurt?"

_"Yes."_

"Sorry…"

"It's alright, just…be careful…OUCH!"

"Sorry!"

"Ughhh…"

Tyson sighed as Mako tried applying ointment onto his knee for the third time. He had stumbled down five steps due to a lip gloss tube, which, coincidentally, Yumi claimed to have been looking for. Yumi kept apologizing to Tyson, which only annoyed him more, because he had to keep forgiving her continuously. They were all sitting at the table now, eating their breakfasts, when Kai put down his chopsticks and fixed Tyson with an annoyed glare.

"What's with the attitude toward Mako? It's not her fault you fell down the stairs like a blind moron."

Tyson, being used to these accusations, retaliated calmly, "Look, Kai, just because you've finally found your ability to talk to girls," he nodded towards Rika, "doesn't give you the authority to talk to me like that."

That made Rika look up. "Hey, look buddy, Kai and I have nothing like _that_ going on," she smirked. "Not like you and Mako, anyway."

Mako turned her head sharply at her elder sister. "Excuse me?"

"That's right," continued Rika, a thin smile playing at her lips. "Haven't you guys noticed? You should see how she follows Tyson; like a mouse sniffin' up cheese."

"You take that back!" cried Mako angrily. Kai was smirking.

"Wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you, Kai!" yelled Tyson.

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try," Kai retorted back.

"Um, guys, let's not fight now, okay? Guys?" said Yumi nervously, trying to break them apart, but making sure not to touch them, as if she would get infected with pointless anger as well.

"Oh, shut up, Yumi!" said Jade reproachfully. "Let them fight, its entertaining!"

Max glared at her, which he wouldn't normally do to a girl. "You find friends arguing and threatening each other entertaining?" he snapped.

"Hey, don't yell at Jade!" cried Kenny.

"And who are you to tell him not to?" said Yumi, firing up.

And so it went………..

"Die, Kai!"

"I'd rather die than live with you around!"

"Goth!"

"Shut up, Mako!"

"Come make me, wench!"

"You're so arrogant!"

"As if you're no different, blondie?"

"You may be older, but you're not as smart as me!"

"Put a sock in it, four-eyes!"

"QUIET!"

Everyone turned their heads toward Mariah, who had stood up and was now towering over them all, her left eyebrow twitching menacingly.

"As of this moment, I won't hear any more arguing. _Got it?_"

Of course everyone did 'get it'. The look on Mariah's face had scared the anger right out of them.

"But _I_ was good, wasn't I?" bragged Rei, giving Mariah a big smile that made her peck his cheek and say sweetly, "Of course you were, Rei."

"Gary good, too!" cried Gary.

Mariah beamed at him. "Yes, you too, Gary," she turned her gaze toward everyone else.

"As for the rest of you…," she began. But after a pause, she sighed, and smiled. "You're all hopeless. But I still love you guys, so, who's up for the beach?"

At once, the whole table gave an uproar of approval.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ahhh. A nice, cool swim in the water had definitely relaxed Tyson. His knee was all better (it turned out that all he needed to do was wash it), and he was now lying down on the soft sand, drying in the sun, when he felt a sharp sting in his back.

"Aargghh!" he cried, jumping to his feet in pain. "What the heck?"

But the pain was still there. And, being who he was, he began running around in circles, as if that would help the pain go away.

"Tyson, what's wrong?" cried Mako's worried voice, from somewhere Tyson couldn't see. But before long, she was standing before him.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Tyson, don't move, you have a crab clinging to your back…"

"A crab? Cool!" said Tyson stupidly, before realizing where it was. "I mean, AAAHHHH! A crab!"

"Hold still!" ordered Mako firmly. Tyson stopped, and she slowly brought her hand toward the creature, finally grasping it with her thumb and forefinger. Stretching her arm to keep as much distance away from herself and the crab, Mako threw it into the water.

"Ewwwwww!" she cried, washing her hand as thoroughly as she could in the salt water. "I can't believe I just touched a filthy crab! EEWWW!"

"Thanks for getting it off me," said Tyson, trying to massage his back where the crab had clung to.

Mako looked at him and grinned. "No problem," she said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Hey, it's not funny!" said Tyson. Then he looked at Mako as if he had just noticed her. "Uhh, aren't you gonna go swim or something?" he asked. For Mako was still wearing a t-shirt and skirt, having not changed into a bathing suit.

Blushing out of embarrassment, she said in a quiet voice, "Um, no…see…I…can't swim."

"Oh," said Tyson. Then, rather reluctantly, he said, "it's really easy, you know. I could…teach…you…"

Tyson remembered when he had taught Hilary how to swim. They had had so much fun, and he remembered how happy she was when she had finally gotten the hang of it, and the big smile she had given him.

"Oh, no, it's okay," said Mako quickly. "I don't really want to anyway."

"Oh, okay."

Awkward silence.

Tyson looked around for someone to miraculously appear and take him away from this uncomfortable moment, but no avail: Max and Kenny where in the water, while Yumi and Jade watched them; Rika was reading a book under the shade of an umbrella; Kai lay in the sand with a blade of grass in his mouth; and Rei and Mariah were off getting ice cream together.

Tyson sat there, thinking of what to say. Then an idea sprung him. "Mako, you don't happen to have your beyblade with you, do you?"

Mako grinned at him, catching on. "I never leave home without it!"

Tyson grinned back. "Wanna beybattle?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, you were awesome!" Tyson exclaimed, flopping down onto the sand. He and Mako had just finished their beybattle, which Tyson had won.

Mako kneeled down to pick up her fallen blade. Turning to him, she said, "But I'm not as good as you…I don't think I'll ever be…"

"Don't say that! There are lots of people out there you can beat. And to beat me, all you need is a little more practice," he assured her.

"You think so?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"Uhh…yeah…"

"Hey Tyson, Mako, we're going for lunch!" called Rei's voice. Tyson stood up, and turned to Mako, who was looking at her blade intensely.

"Uhh…you coming?" he asked.

"Yeah…" she said softly.

He turned to leave, when Mako said, "Tyson, um, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Mariah keeps talking about someone named Hilary…um… who is she?"

Tyson was a bit taken aback by the abrupt change of topic. Nonetheless, he answered, "She's a friend of ours. She was supposed to come with us, but…her parents…wouldn't allow it." The thought just made his heart sink, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Oh…"

He turned to leave again, when Mako stopped him yet again. "Tyson, do you think I'm…weird?"

Why was she asking such awkward questions? "Uhh…no…why would you think that?" he asked.

"Well, because, every time I'm around you, you seem to be avoiding me. I'm sorry if I keep looking at you in a weird way. It's just that, I've always wanted to meet the World Champ, and now that its happened…," she paused, and looked up at him, "I can't quite believe it…"

Tyson looked down at his hands. For the last two days, he had hated Mako for always following him, staring at him, and annoying him, when really, she was just admiring his title as World Champ. It seemed that she wasn't so bad after all…he felt bad and stupid at the same time.

"Tyson, Mako, if you two don't get here, Kai says he'll go and fetch you with a belt in hand!" Rei called to them again.

"He can't hit me, I'm a girl!" Mako cried.

Tyson sweat-dropped. "One thing you gotta know about Kai, it's that genders don't matter to him…"

Mako stared, shocked. "You have got to be kidding me…"

"Unfortunately, no," he turned to her. "We'd better go, you know…just in case…"

Mako giggled. "Yeah, I guess."

Tyson looked at her for a moment, and then smiled. And that was the first sincere smile he had ever given her. As they walked towards the rest of the gang, he felt bad about how he had felt about Mako. Now that he had the chance to get to know her more, it turned out that she was pretty friendly. And seriously, she _was_ a great beyblader. What he had told her about practicing a bit more to beat him, wasn't just to make her feel better, it was true. And to think that only a _portion_ of Liona's power was that strong…to imagine it all put together… that would be really powerful…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ahhhh….I'm exhausted…" Max yawned drowsily as he sat up on his bed. He, Tyson, Kenny, Rei, and Kai, were all in Max's room in the guest house, recalling what had happened throughout that day. They had gone to some big, fancy French restaurant for lunch instead of a fast food one, Mariah having misled them with wrong directions. But they had no other choice, so they had reluctantly sat down for some escargot (A/N: escargot is…well…snail. French people eat it.). This really didn't taste bad (according to Tyson, who was dared by Kai to take the first bite). So they were all able to have a…ahem…_filling _meal. After that they went to watch a movie, but Tyson had filled himself with too much popcorn and ended up with a stomach ache, which resulted in them having to come home, without finishing the movie.

"I wonder what Hilary would have said to escargot," Tyson wondered aloud.

"Well, if you got her angry enough, she would've probably used it against you," joked Rei. The others laughed.

"Yeah, real funny, Rei," said Tyson, dripping sarcasm.

"Hey, you brought up the question, I simply answered," said Rei defensively.

"Which brings us to the question as to why you brought up the topic of Hilary in the first place?" said Max, sitting up a little straighter.

"Quit being extra!" Tyson snapped.

"Why?" Rei smirked. "Are you afraid we're gonna invade your privacy or something? Scared that we're gonna get a little secret out of you?"

Kai, who had kept quiet the whole time, took this sudden swing of conversation as a cue for him to leave. Standing up, he left the room, looking utterly annoyed.

The others kept rambling on about Tyson's 'deep and unbreakable love for Hilary', which began to really get on Tyson's nerves. He decided to do something about it.

"Okay, guys, you win," he said, giving them a sheepish smile. "Looks like I'm gonna have to open up to you. But first, I need a glass of water…don't want my voice to dry out from all that confessing I'm about to do! So…I'll just, er, go and…get that glass of water…hehe…"

The guys gave him suspicious looks, before whispering amongst themselves. After a few seconds it seemed they had come to an agreement, for they faced Tyson once more.

"Fine," said Kenny. "But be quick!"

Tyson thanked them, and quickly departed from the room, ran down the flight of stairs, and was out the door in a blink.

Panting slightly, he took this moment to cackle triumphantly, but quietly, so no one would know he was gone. Looking to his left, he saw that the White Tiger house was dark. But beside it, the Tatsuyas' had their lights on. There was only one other alternative for this situation: he ran past the White Tiger house, then fell to his knees, and crawled as fast as he could past the Tatsuyas'. Standing up and dusting his pants, Tyson wondered which path he should take. He wasn't familiar at all with the village, so he didn't know where any path would take him.

Being who he was, Tyson decided to take the chance, and followed the path to his right, which was surrounded by a small forest of trees. As he walked on, he decided that if the path led him too far, he would turn back.

After what felt like at least fifteen minutes, sleepiness wandered into him and he began to feel drowsy. A gentle summer breeze swept by and he felt as if he could've been lifted up by it. Looking up at the sky, he pondered, thinking if he should go back to the guest house. The whole point to come out here had just been to get away from the guys a little while, and he was sure that by now they had given up looking for him and had gone to sleep. He thought of his bed…all nice and soft and…

He shook his head vigorously, deciding to turn back before he fell asleep in the dirt. But as he turned to leave, the sound of splashing water caught his ear. Nothing big, just a small, flowing sound…

Curious, Tyson decided to follow it, ignoring how tired he was. Due to where the sound was coming from, he had to cut the path, dodging a few trees. The splashing was getting louder, which meant he was getting closer.

At last, he found the place, a clearing, and what he saw didn't upset him in the least: it was a waterfall. A small one, but it was glowing under the moonlight and looked…magical. Tyson wasn't much of a nature person, but even he could clearly see its beauty. Around the water, clean grass grew; a strong, vivid green. Hilary would have loved it all.

Tyson yawned, drowsiness returning to him like a pleasant breeze. Glancing back, he figured it was too late to turn back now, and he was so tired. Laying himself in the soft grass, sleep immediately conquered him, and the last thing he saw as he closed his eyes was the star strewn sky, shining like nothing he had seen before.

Xxx

"Tyson,"

Who was saying that? And why did his eyelids feel so warm?

"Tyson, wake up,"

The voice sounded very familiar…

"Tyson! Wake up!" the voice yelled.

Reluctantly, Tyson opened his eyes; ready to give whoever it was waking him a piece of his mind. But that thought vanished as soon as he saw bright, ruby eyes, brown hair spilling into his face, and a big, wide, smile.

It was Hilary.

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**Yaay! Hilary's here! Wow, typing up that part about Tyson all sleepy made me feel a bit drowsy myself…its only 9 pm here and I'm already tired! But I'm glad I could finish this up. I'll try to update a little faster next time. And please don't hate me for the Tyson/Mako moments!**

**REVIEWS PLZ!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	6. So Close, yet So Far

**I know I took a reaaally long time to update this chapter, and I'm reaaally sorry, but what can I do? I had a bit of writer's block, but I got over it and hey, at least it's finally here! Anyways, some reviews have been asking for no Mako/Tyson moments. I hate it too, but I need it for the story, so bare with me, please? But I have a feeling this chap. will be satisfying, not perfectly, but, satisfying (hopefully).**

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So Close, yet So Far

"Tyson," I say, kneeling down beside him. If it wasn't for the fact that I hadn't seen or spoken to him in days, I wouldn't have tried to wake him, because he looks so peaceful, sleeping there, looking so innocent…

"Tyson, wake up," I repeat, giving him a little shake. He stirs a bit, but still not fully conscious. So, I bring my face up to his ear, and yell.

"Tyson! Wake up!"

He scrunches his face up in a frown. I muffle a laugh, and lean my face closer to his, just to examine his features. I've never had the chance to really look at him closely before, because every time I did, I'd zone out until he'd notice, and then I'd look away, blushing. And, apparently, I was zoned out right now, because I was late to notice that he was slowly opening his eyes.

I can't help but grin as he looks up at me, eyes wide, clearly surprised. And that's how we remain for a few seconds, him looking up, me looking down; until I notice that our faces are mere inches apart. I move away, my face beginning to feel warm.

As I stare at the grass, I hear him say, "Hilary…?" and the next thing I know, Tyson's arms fling around me and I flinch when I hear his cheerful voice, ever so close to my ear.

"Hilary! It's so damn good to see you!" he exclaims. He breaks our embrace (although I didn't want to let go) and looks at me, both hands rested on my shoulders. "When and how did you get here? I thought your parents wouldn't allow it?"

I feel paralyzed for a few moments, before returning to myself. I smile. "It's good to see you too Tyson," I say, as he leaps to his feet, looking pleased. "But as for your questions, they're gonna have to wait; I'm seriously tired right now, and, I'd like to see the guys and Mariah."

He grins. "They're gonna be shocked."

I roll my eyes. "Oh please, it's not like they missed me…"

"That's what you think," he says, holding out his hand. "Now shut up or I won't help you up."

I hold on to his hand, and, as he pulls me to my feet, I give his skin a little pinch with my nails. Big mistake. Tyson, feeling the slight sting, lets go of my hand, making me topple over, and he trips over my leg and falls, too (not on me, thank goodness).

"Sorry," I say, trying to hide my laughter.

"Next time, tell me when you're gonna try clawing my skin off," he says reproachfully. But then he begins to laugh, too. "C'mon, let's go."

As I stand up, I notice that we both have grass stains all over our clothes. But I push that thought from my mind as Tyson leads the way out of the clearing. We begin in silence, which makes me feel uncomfortable, so I start talking.

"So…how do you like it here?" I ask.

He ponders on the question before answering. "I guess you could say…it's been…like nothing I expected…"

"Really? Like how?"

"Well," he begins slowly. I guess he's not used to so much thinking. "I expected to see _all_ the White Tigers, I didn't think I'd meet anyone new, and…I expected you to be there…"

I feel myself blush. Thank goodness I'm walking behind him, or he would've noticed.

"Oh…well, um, so…how is it so…unexpected?" I ask.

He grins mysteriously. "Big story. You're gonna have to wait."

Obviously he has forgotten that I can be very, very curious. For the next few minutes, I keep begging him to spill the beans. But, no avail; Tyson is enjoying my struggle.

"I told you, I'll tell you when we get there!"

"But I can't wait that long! Its not--" before I can finish my complaint, I feel something dash past my left ankle. Tyson, realizing my silence, turns to me questioningly.

"What's up?"

"Something just zoomed past my ankle!"

He eyes me skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" as I say this, I wonder if it was a beyblade. It could have been, considering how fast it had gone. But, I can't deliberate this a moment longer, for Tyson has just abruptly grabbed my arm, and he pulls me out into bright sunshine that stings my eyes like cheap shampoo (A/N: I know, very stupid simile). Once I get my focus back, I blink as I look at this enormous house (was it a house?) that is standing powerfully before me, and I can just see it say, _I am mighty and authouritative. Fear me._

Then my gaze lowers to the house a few yards away, where a group of girls are doing something, though I can't tell what. I was slightly startled to see them look at Tyson and me, but I'm even more surprised when one of them walk up to Tyson, smiling, and says brightly, "G'morning, Tyson!"

"Hey, Mako! What's up?" he replies, as if they had known each other for ages.

"Oh, nothing…" says the girl, smiling _hard_. Seriously, it looks as if a long stick is stuck horizontally in her mouth or something.

And, so, I'm obviously lost. I was hoping to see Mariah and everyone else, and now some pretty girl, who is clearly not Mariah, has come up and has started flirting with Tyson. And it seems she doesn't even notice me standing here, like an idiot. Yup. I am so lost.

After about two minutes, I begin to get annoyed, feeling out of place. And Tyson still hasn't introduced me. I give him a sharp nudge with my elbow.

"Ouch! Hilary, what--" he stops mid-sentence, looking at me, then turning to the girl. Then he realizes. The smartass.

"Right, uh, Hil, this is Mako Tatsuya. Mako, this is Hil," he says.

"Hilary Tatibana," I correct him, looking at Mako with a smile painted on my face. She giggles, finding it somehow funny. I'm not trying to be egotistical or anything, but, am I the only one here with a sense of mental maturity?

"Oh, of course! Hilary!" Mako cries in realization. "Mariah's told me a lot about you."

Has she now? I wonder what else… "Well…I never I knew I could be a topic of conversation," I say, still wearing that fake smile.

"Of course!" she cries, as if I had stated something of shock. "Geniuses like you only come around…once or twice in a lifetime," she holds out her hand. "It's really nice to meet you."

Genius? Did she just…? My heart suddenly softens and all the negative thoughts of her vanish from my mind. Nobody has ever called me a genius before. Sure, maybe smart, intelligent, clever…but genius? I've only heard that used to describe Kenny…

I shake her hand. "It's really nice to meet you too…and thanks…"

She smiles, before turning to Tyson. "Your friends are all looking for you…they have murderous looks on their faces," she pauses. "I think they said something about you ditching them yesterday…where'd you go, anyway?"

Tyson looks extremely uncomfortable. "Uhh, just wanted to…take a walk…guess I was too tired to turn back…hehe…,"

Mako seems to have bought it, but I still eye him suspiciously. But before I can do anything about it, Mako says something that brings my attention back to her.

"By the way, have you seen my beyblade? It seemed to have just vanished into the trees, where you two just came out of."

I give Tyson an 'I told you so' look before saying, "I think so…I did feel something race past my ankle…"

And as if on cue, I feel the thing speed past my ankle again, this time more harsh, so that it makes me give a little cry of pain. I look down to see a small cut, blood slowly oozing out.

"Hilary! You cut yourself…" Tyson exclaims, looking really concerned. I feel myself colouring up.

"I'm okay, its nothing," I reassure him. He relaxes a bit, but he's still looking at my cut.

The beyblade spins in a few more circles, before flying into Mako's hand. "Sorry," she says to me apologetically. She tucks it safely away into her pocket. "I hope it doesn't hurt too much…here, let's go inside…"

Both me and Tyson agree to that; me because I want to see everyone else, Tyson because he was hungry (how typical).

**XxX**

Its 12:46 a.m. as I flop down on my comfortable bed, lower the light so it makes the room look dim and romantic (for no real reason; I just like it that way) and close my eyes. The temperature is just perfect and I feel so cozy. I've always loved the rural way of living, not too urban and noisy. I could easily call this village home.

I'm in Mariah's room. The guest house is already filled with the guys, so she brought me to the White Tiger home (which is very comfy and nice) and we had a long, girl-to-girl conversation about, naturally, ourselves. She was telling me about all the mushy stuff with her and Rei, which was really creepy in a way, considering I had never seen a soft Rei before. And then I told her how my feelings for Tyson have blossomed even more (which resulted in a bit of teasing), and lastly we discussed the events of the day.

When Mako took Tyson and me inside to their house this morning, Mariah had quickly jumped up and had given me a hug. I got one from everyone, actually. I had told them how my parents had felt sorry for me, and had surprisingly let me come. I also said how I was in a taxi on my way up, until it broke down and I was wandering about until I had found Tyson snoring away in a beautiful clearing.

"Taxis do that a lot these days," Mariah had commented, with a roll of her eyes.

Then, Tyson and me were interrogated on why our clothes were so dirty and what we were doing, which made both of us turn red and blabber out explanations until everyone began to laugh and say it was a joke. Mako only smiled, which makes me believe that it's hard to make her laugh, like Kai (but she's a lot warmer). After breakfast, I met all the Tatsuya's and had quickly grown fond of them, especially Jade because we both share the gift of taking authority. I learned about their beyblades and how the girls came to own them, which really fascinated me, and also the answer to where Lee and Kevin had gone to. Later that day, I took a nap at the guest house, and when I woke up, everyone was there and we all shared a few laughs on this and that while they updated me on where they had gone so far and Tyson's little experience with escargot, which brought tears of laughter to my eyes.

A knock on the door breaks me away from my thoughts. I stand up to get it, and my heart jumps when I see Tyson, grinning down at me.

"Hey!" he says cheerfully.

"Aren't you tired?" I ask incredulously. He shakes his head. "You've had too much caffeine, then."

He shrugs his shoulders, which surprises me. Usually, he would retaliate, but instead he simply walks into the room. I decide to just shrug it off myself; no need to get worried about every little thing.

"So, what'd you forget?" I ask, as he seats himself comfortably on Mariah's bed.

"What makes you think I forgot anything?" he says, obviously confused.

"Well," I think of how to narrow it down for him to understand, "I don't think you'd come barging in here when everyone else is in bed for no reason, so, I thought of the possibilities as to why, and, I came to the conclusion that you left something in this room earlier today, and you came get it."

He blinks. I sigh. "Forget it," I say, exasperated.

"No, its not that I didn't get what you said," he says, then crosses his arms, putting on a childish frown. "It's that you have such little faith in me. So little that you'd jump to the conclusion that I forgot something here…"

"No-I didn't mean-I just figured-" I start blabbering nonsense, until I hear Tyson laughing.

"I was kidding," he says, grinning, "Jeeze, who knew you were such a worry-wart about my emotions."

I try to defend myself. "I just didn't want to hurt your feelings…" embarrassed, I look at the floor.

"You could never hurt my feelings, Hil," I hear Tyson's soft voice saying, and I feel my face growing hot, so I change the subject.

"Um…so, why exactly are you here then?" for a faint moment, I thought he would say, 'you', and I push the thought from my mind immediately.

"Uh…I actually did forget something here…" he says stupidly. I roll my eyes.

"And you accuse me of jumping to conclusions."

He sweat-drops. "Hehe…Uh…yeah, I left my blade here somewhere…" he says, standing up to look around. I notice he looks a bit nervous, but then, I probably do, too. I eventually find Tyson's beyblade on the table across the bed.

"I found it," I say, and I turn around to see Tyson standing right in front of me.

"Thanks," he says, smiling.

"How'd it end up here, anyway?" I ask, out of curiosity.

"I was bringing your baggage up here, and it was pretty heavy, so I took a lay down on the bed for a couple of minutes, but the blade was in my pocket and it was poking me, so I put it on the table."

"What a story," I say, unimpressed.

"It's true!" he cries, and I laugh.

"Don't worry, I believe you." He smiles, and I smile back. "Great, now you can leave."

"Aww, you don't really want me to leave, do you?" he asks, making that face again, which is so annoying, yet so cute.

"That depends," I say, grabbing his hand and placing his blade on the palm. "What would you entertain me with if you stayed?"

He keeps a hold on my hand, and says in a soft voice, "What would you want me to do?"

"I dunno…whatever you think would make me happy, I guess…" I say, feeling warmth spread through me from the touch of his hand on mine, and I notice how scarce the light is in the room.

"Well, then," he whispers, running a hand through my hair and resting it on my cheek. Wow, he is good. "I guess I'd do…this," he leans in, and for a moment I'm unable to move. My heart seems to have taken up my entire chest, and, as I close my eyes, I feel the slightest touch of his lips on mine, and…

"_Tyson!_" yells a voice from another world that makes the both of us jump. It's Mariah, calling form downstairs.

"Tyson, get down here right now, I'm tired and I want to go to bed!"

"Um," I say, looking at him. But Tyson seems to be in some sort of trance; he looks lost in my eyes. Gently, he lets go of my hand, but I grab it back. He smiles, and shakes his head. His smile enchants me, and this time I do let go. He walks toward the door, and, looking back, says, "G'night…"

"G'night," I whisper, not wanting him to go, not when we were just about to…

I hear the click of the door, but I'm rooted to the spot, mind racing. I can't believe it. I just _cannot_ believe it. Am I dreaming? I pinch myself to make sure, and feel the sting. So I wasn't dreaming. Tyson had actually wanted to kiss me…

I walk back to my bed, weak-kneed. As I lie down, I smell the scent of Tyson on the sheets, and I let it embrace me. So he wasn't making up that story after all.

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**Well, I hope you liked it! **

**REVIEWS PLZ,**

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	7. Gone Fishing

**Hello! This chapter might be a little short, but I didn't want to update late this time, so yeah. The focus of this chap is mostly Mako (so sorry!) but its kinda important because it explains a bit more about who she is…it might sound a bit confusing though, but I guess that's how its supposed to be…**

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Gone Fishing

**Hilary's P.O.V.**

I've always been a morning person. Everyday, I'd wake up right at the crack of dawn and watch the sunrise. Somehow, watching it fills me with tranquility and I feel so pure. Like nothing can go wrong in the day ahead. As I look out the window right now, I see thin streaks of light shining out into the horizon, a warm summer breeze dances with my hair, and I feel as if I could stand there forever, with nothing holding me back.

I know today will be awkward. After what happened last night, I have a feeling things are bound to change…what, exactly, I can't quite step on, but I know that every time I look at Tyson, I'll go crimson…maybe even scarlet...wait, which one is deeper?

I'm still trying to sort out my colours as I walk downstairs (that's how much of a low-life I am). Mariah and Gary are already there, and I greet them as cheerfully as I can.

"So," I say, as the three of us settle for some breakfast. "What's happening today?"

"Not decided yet," says Mariah. "We're gonna go over to the guest house and see what everyone else thinks."

My heart does a back flip; Tyson will be there. I must look really nervous because Mariah asks me, "you okay?"

"Um…yeah," I respond, unconvincingly. If she noticed this, she didn't say anything about it, and we continue eating.

"Oh, by the way, I love the necklace you sent," Mariah grins, pointing at her neck. Somehow, I hadn't noticed it before, but I'm glad Tyson had remembered to give it to her. I smile at her.

"Don't mention it; it's what I'm here for. But I can't believe Tyson actually remembered to give it to you," I say, as my cheeks suddenly grow warm at the thought of him. What is with me today?

Mariah laughs, before saying, "Speaking of which, what took Tyson so long to get his blade back last night?" she lifts an eyebrow.

I try to set my face straight, but I know I can't. I give her what I hope is a half-hearted shrug. But she narrows her eyes at me; Mariah is not the type of person to shrug things off.

"_Hilary_," she says warningly. She knows I'm hiding something.

"Well…," I begin, and then notice Gary looking at us, interested, and I feel a wave of relief as I find an excuse not to tell her. "I'll tell you later," I say, nodding slightly in Gary's direction. Mariah sighs.

"_Fine_…,"

**XxX**

We arrive to see everyone else waiting…everyone except Tyson. Part of me is relieved, while another part is frantically searching for him and wondering where he is. Unable to hold it in, I ask, "Where's Tyson?"

"Still sleeping, as usual," says Kenny. Of course, how stupid of me. Of all people, I should know how late Tyson sleeps. I resist an urge to slap myself.

"Funny for you to ask," Max smirks, eyeing me suspiciously. I give him a glare that says, _say one more thing, and your face will be saying hello to my foot._ Max says nothing more, just as Tyson walks in.

"Mornin' everyone…hey Hil," he greets us. For some reason my face goes hot again; Tyson always gives me a separate greeting, its something he's always done. So why am I so light-headed about it this time?

Tyson walks into the main room, where we're all seated. The guys and Mariah are looking at him oddly. The sisters look confused, but I know what's coming…

"Uh…Tyson?" Rei begins.

"What?" Tyson asks, finally noticing that all eyes are on him. Except me; I'm looking down at my hands, every single finger crossed.

"Uh…what are you doing in here?" asks Kenny, looking startled.

Tyson is baffled. "Aren't I supposed to be here…?"

"No...,"

"Then…where?"

"In the kitchen!" says Max. "Aren't you gonna eat breakfast?"

Please don't say no, please don't say no, please, please, _please_ don't say no…

"Oh…no, I'm not hungry today," Tyson says. He steals a glance at me, and our eyes meet for a moment. I have an urge to run across the room to him, but I resist and look down at my hands, just as I hear a number of loud thuds from the floor. I look up to see Mariah, Rei, Max, Kenny, and Gary all on the floor. Even Kai looks perplexed.

Tyson, finally getting why they were doing this, cries, "what's so wrong about me not eating?!"

Max leaps up and places a hand on Tyson's forehead. "Are you sick or something?"

"Maybe he has a fever," suggests Kenny.

"Or," says Mariah, giving me a sideways glance, "maybe he's going through those changes…"

"_Or_," says Tyson heatedly, "maybe there's nothing wrong with me and I just _don't feel like eating!_"

This time, I speak up. "Tyson," I say slowly, and as he looks at me, I feel my stomach cringe, "you should really eat something. You never know when you'll get hungry..."

For a freakishly awkward moment, everyone is silent. Then Tyson, smiling broadly at me, says, "Okay Hil. I'll eat something." He stands up and walks toward the kitchen. Every single particle of my body feels as light as a feather.

"Well," says Kai, his voice so sudden we can barely believe he's actually talking, "Now that we've got _that_ in order, where are we gonna go?"

**XxX**

**Mako's P.O.V.**

After some discussion, we had all decided to go fishing. This might not seem like such a good idea at first, but this village has a very positive reputation of having the best fish around. Right now, we're walking towards the nearest lake. But my mind is far from fishing; this is the perfect opportunity to think on some things I've been keeping at the back of my mind for the past few days.

As soon as we reach the lake, the guys take no time to start fishing, while the girls seat themselves under a tree to relax. Mariah beckons me over, but I turn down the offer.

"In a bit," I assure her. Mariah nods, and walks off. My sisters follow her, but give me questioning glances. I slightly turn my head from side to side, telling them not to worry. Then I find a comfortable spot not too far from the others, and I sit down.

I stare into the water as I bring my thoughts out into the open of my mind. Reaching into my pocket, I bring out my beyblade. I let out a sigh of relief when I feel the blade, thankful that it isn't burning hot again, like how it was for the past few days.

It all started when the Bladebreakers arrived. I knew that something was bound to stir; of course, this was what Liona had been waiting for. But the blade had seemed to burn hot only when I spoke to Tyson or whenever he was near. After that I figured out that Tyson had a strong part in Liona's prophecy, so I've been keeping a close watch on him.

Then something happened yesterday that left me and still leaves me clueless. When I woke up that morning, I had looked at my blade only to see it glow a bright red. I was confused, because Tyson was nowhere near me. Then later I find him and Hilary approaching from the trees, just after my blade flew out of sight, later coming back to scratch Hilary's ankle. Did this have anything to do with the glow?

Then last night, the sound of my blade spinning had woken me up. At first I was frightened to see it spin on its own, but as I got closer I saw it glow that same bright red and I realized it had something to do with the prophecy. But I didn't know what; I had heard nothing and had seen nothing suspicious. That is, until Yumi had come bursting into my room five minutes later to tell me some surprising news.

"Mako! You won't believe this; I was just coming back from the well with some water, and when I passed Mariah's place, I heard Tyson's and Hilary's voices coming from upstairs," she began.

This had made me straighten up, interested. "Go on…"

"Well, I used Liona to get a rope up to their window, and, when I climbed up, I saw…," she paused.

"Yeah…?" I urged her.

"I…saw them kiss. Well, almost. Mariah had called them down, so yeah. But can you believe it? Tyson and Hilary! Do you think…?" she had looked at me questioningly, and I knew what she had wanted to say.

"If this has anything to do with the prophecy?" I finished her question, then answered, "I think so…when exactly did you see this?"

"About five minutes ago."

My heart leaped, excited. "Then it must have something to do with it! Just five minutes ago, my blade started spinning and glowing…," I stopped.

"Whoa…you mean it spun on its own?" asked Yumi, astonished.

"Yup."

She had looked down at her hands, obviously lost in thought. I knew what she had been thinking of, and I spoke her thoughts.

"Why…?"

The question still lingers in my mind, and I'm not sure what to think. Liona had started to spin (which was a very big thing) and glow, but the thing about Tyson and Hilary…it hadn't been all that big. Unless…

"Hey, Mako!" Hilary calls from the tree. "Aren't you coming?"

"Uh…yeah, I'm coming," I call back. Hilary nods, and as I get up, I see her steal a glance at Tyson. As I walk to the tree, I see Tyson look at Hilary, and their eyes meet. At once, my blade begins to spin in my pocket, scratching my skin.

As soon as I feel the pain, I reach for the blade in my pocket, wanting it out. But once it's in my hand, it begins to burn again, and out of pain, I toss it. Big mistake, because now the blade is in the water.

I jump into the lake, everything erased from my mind except for the need to get my blade back. But as soon as I hit the water, I remember that I can't swim. How stupid of me! But nonetheless, I keep trying, stretching my arms as far as they can go, but Liona keeps on spinning away from me…

Then I realize her target: Tyson. I suddenly have an urge to stop the blade, even though I know I should let it carry on its intention. But for some reason, I don't want it to hurt him…

My arms are hurting badly from stretching so far. I stop, feeling water fill my nostrils as I sink. That's when someone finally notices me.

"Mako!" I hear Jade cry. Then the others start yelling as well, but I can't see them, my eyes shut tight. I hear the ripping of launchers, and I slightly open my eyes to find four blades spinning in front of me, and I recognize them to be the blades of Tyson, Kai, Rei and Max. I grab onto them, two for each hand, and let them pull me to shore, where everyone is waiting anxiously.

I reach land, and I feel someone's hands on my shoulders. I look up to see Tyson, with the others all standing behind him.

"Are you okay?" Tyson asks, looking concerned.

"Uh…yeah…," then I remember my blade. "Where…where's my blade…?"

"Here," says Hilary, handing me my blade. It must've spun out of control, and oddly, I'm thankful it hadn't hit Tyson. "I found it near the tree…ouch!" she cries, snatching back her hand, "It's hot!"

"Sorry…it…does that a lot…" I say. My head feels dizzy, and I feel like I'm gonna be sick. Abruptly, I fall into Tyson's arms. From his shoulder, just before I close my eyes, I see Hilary clutching her hand. Was that a look of resentment passing her eyes just now? At the same moment, my blade warms up again.

Could…she be…the one?

As I think this, I hear a distant sound coming from deep in my mind. A strong, happy, triumphant sound. It was laughter.

I faint.

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**Well, there you go. I hope it wasn't too confusing, personally, I don't really like the chapter much myself. And the title was stupid; I couldn't think of anything else. Next chapter, hopefully there won't be much Mako (hopefully).**

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	8. Emotional Outburst

**Thanks for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter. It's in Hilary's P.O.V. Enjoy!**

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Emotional Outburst

Thankfully, Mako was going to be okay. She had just fainted out of shock, seeing as she can't swim. But there were a few things that bothered me about today: first off, _she was all over Tyson. _I mean, I know, she was in pain, and needed someone to lean on, and he just so happenedto be there, but, I dunno, I just didn't like it. And another thing, why would she launch her blade into the water in the first place? It's pretty odd. And seeing her risk her own life to get it back, whoa. But its not like I hate her, I was just…disturbed…

Anyways, I'm in Mariah's room, looking for my purse. The both of us are going to the market to get some kind of medicine or 'herbs' as Mariah calls it, for Mako. I know I put it here somewhere, but where could it have gone? Its not like me to lose something, I'm too much of a neat freak. I feel like Tyson…so unorganized…so messy…so clueless…so…cute… (A/N: she doesn't mean to call herself cute).

Did I just think that? Okay, I am officially losing it. I push the thought out of my head, feeling my face redden. I've begun to get used to this now, it's been happening so many times today. I look under the bed, and I find my purse (if I weren't so preoccupied I would've remembered I put it there). Grabbing a tissue off the desk, I swipe at all the dust. I head out of the room, and I'm halfway down the stairs when I bump into the one person that I'm trying to forget right now: Tyson.

"Uh," we both say in unison. I try moving to the side to let him pass, but he does the same thing. I move the other way, but he does, too.

So we're basically trying to get past each other, when finally Tyson stops and says, "Maybe…"

He grabs my shoulders, and for a heart-pounding second I think he's about to kiss me (hey, a girl can hope, right?). But instead he steps up one stair, and let's go. "There," he says softly, giving me a half-smile that looks pretty forced, before going up the remaining stairs. What's with the distance? And lack of conversation? My heart crumbles as I stare after him, wanting so much to be near him, until Kenny's voice breaks my trance.

"Uh…Hilary? What are you doing…?" he asks. He looks puzzled, but then, who wouldn't if they saw someone dreaming on a staircase? I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile, and say,

"Sorry…I guess I kinda zoned out…"

"Oh…okay…well, Mariah told me to get you," he says. "She said she wants to leave now."

I roll my eyes, but grin. "Leave it to Mariah to rush everything," I say, and I follow Kenny down the remaining steps to the door, where my impatient friend is waiting.

"Can we go now?" she asks, tapping her foot continuously. It's pretty amusing.

"Yes, we can. And thanks for waiting ever so patiently," I say sarcastically, as we head out the door. But as soon as we hit the outside, Mariah takes no time at all to start what I think she's about to start.

"So, you still didn't tell me what happened between you and Tyson last night."

I roll my eyes. "You just love interrogating me don't you?"

Skipping my remark, she urges me. "Well? What happened?"

"You act like it's a big thing!"

"Well, yeah, because it is, and I'm really curious!"

I sigh. What am I to say? It's not like I can just burst out, _I almost got snogged by Tyson yesterday!_

"Well…we…um…," I begin.

"Uh huh…."

"He sort of…I dunno…"

"Kissed you?!"

"No!!"

"Then?"

"Well, he actually…was…about…to…"

"He was about to kiss you?"

"Yeah…"

"Oooooohh!" she squeals. Then her face turns into a frown. "What stopped him?"

I'm about to tell her it was she who stopped him, but I decide not to. Instead I say, "Someone kinda broke our little moment."

Her frown deepens. "That sucks! Whoever broke you two apart at such a moment should be punished severely! In fact, I'm gonna kick their ass for you, just as soon as you tell me who it was."

I can't hold it in, so I burst out laughing. "What?" Mariah asks me, completely startled.

"It was you!" I laugh, "Remember when you called Tyson down? That's when you broke us apart!"

She looks astonished. "Really?"

"So are you gonna kick your own ass now?"

She rolls her eyes, but grins. "Okay, you had your laugh," then her face turns serious. "So then…are you two together now?"

My heart drops. "No," I say, looking down at the rocky path we're walking on. How could we be? Ever since the would-be kiss, Tyson's been deliberately avoiding me. And frankly, I really don't understand why: now that we know how we feel about each other, why aren't we flirting with each other rather than bumping into one another on staircases unceremoniously?

Mariah seems to have read my mind. "Don't worry," she says sympathetically. "He's probably not used to these things. Give it some time, and he'll come along."

I'm still unconvinced. "What if he doesn't?"

She sighs in the way that makes me know she's about to start a speech.

"Look," she begins slowly, staring ahead of her, "ever since I saw that first bickering session between you and Tyson, I knew it was meant to be. Because in both your eyes, there was always a glint of softness that wouldn't let either of you go over the line in hurting each others' feelings. You figured it out in time, but for Tyson, it took longer. Now you just have to let it sink into him. He only just found his true feelings for you, now he has to sort them out. And what he did last night was still part of the reaction, and now he probably thinks it was a mistake."

"But it wasn't!" I cry. "It was one of the best things that could ever happen to me! Even if it wasn't exactly a kiss, at least now I know how he feels for me and…I want him to be happy about it too…"

"You're sweet," Mariah grins. "But if that's what you want, tell him."

"But--"

"You want him, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"You want him to stop avoiding you, right?"

"Yes…"

"So I suggest you go talk to him." she says, in a tone that told me that was that.

**XxX**

The village marketplace is huge, and it still manages to be crowded! Mariah and I are squeezing through so many people, I'm afraid I might lose her. So I keep my eyes glued to her vibrant pink hair until we reach an area where we can breathe.

Finally, we arrive in front of an open grocery store…actually I'm not so sure what store it is. Never mind, I'm just glad I can inhale something that's not body odour.

"Hey, Mar! What's up?" I hear a male voice say. I look up to see a guy standing in front of us. He looks to be a year older than us, and he's actually pretty good-looking too: his hair is just like Rei's but shorter, and his face looks built. He's wearing nothing but black pants and a red cotton vest, and his chest looks built, too. Wow, what a hunk.

"Oh, hey Arek!" Mariah greets him happily, before turning to me. "This is my friend Hilary Tatibana. Hilary, this is Arekkusu, or Arek for short."

"Hi," I say.

"Hello," he says.

And that's that.

"So, what can I do for you girls?" he asks, smiling. And boy, what a smile he had.

"Right, do you have any…?" Mariah begins.

Mariah continues discussing herbs with Arek, and I take the chance to scan the rest of the Market. There's a countless amount of stores, and from this perspective, it looks like everyone is having fun. I'd love to go exploring here sometime…

"Hilary?" Mariah taps me on the shoulder. "Could you stay here for a bit? I'm gonna go fetch something from the store not far from here."

"Why can't I come with you?" I protest.

"Because you have to be here to keep Arek company," she says, grinning. "I'll be back in a sec," and with that, she runs off. Okay, what is she playing at?

I can't say anything else, because I don't want to look as if I want to get away from Arek. I turn back to him.

"So, you're not from around here?" he asks, as he gets out some plant-like medicines and starts chopping them.

I'm relieved that he's found something to talk about. "No, my friends and I came from Tokyo."

Arek's face lights up. "Really? I've always wanted to go to Tokyo. Heard its one heck of a city."

I grin. "It's nice, yeah, but nothing compared to China."

He waves his hand, as if dismissing the idea. "Naah, this? This is all rural. All the big cities are far from here."

"Well, I like rural!" I say, amazed that he could say such a thing.

He laughs. "How about a switch then?"

"Yeah, that would be nice," I laugh along. "So, do you work here by yourself?" I ask him.

"No," he replies, "my folks own this shop. I just cover for them when they're too busy to come. My sister comes sometimes, too." He pauses, and looks at me in the eye. "You look troubled. If you don't mind me asking, is anything wrong?"

I'm slightly taken aback by his notice. "How can you tell?"

He smiles. "Your eyes, they look far away. My sis does that too, so I know."

I think for a moment. He does seem friendly enough, and I still am a bit down about the whole Tyson thing. "Well, I guess I am going through some issues…,"

"Really? Like what?"

"Well…let's say I like this guy, who knows I like him, and I know he likes me back, but he won't say anything because he…or, we…don't know how to."

Arek smiles sympathetically. "Guy problems, huh?"

"Yup," I sigh.

He nods knowingly. "My sister gets that a lot. She's probably your age. I always tell her that a good conversation with the guy does the trick."

"You ever have things like this with girls?" I ask, out of curiosity.

"Do I ever!" he exclaims, making me jump. "One thing I noticed in common with all the girls I went out with is that the smallest things hurt their feelings!"

I frown. "You probably never dated many girls, then."

He grins. "Nah, I'm just playin'," he says, "I've known a lot of sweet girls. And considering how sweet you are, I'm sure this guy of yours will come around."

I'm flattered. "Thanks…,"

Just then Mariah returns, with something glimmering in her hand. But before I can ask, she says, "I had to get you something for the necklace. Hope you like it!"

She gives me a beautiful bracelet, coloured ruby to match my eyes. "Aww, thanks!" I say.

"No problem," she then turns to Arek as I put the bracelet on my hand. "Are they ready?"

"Yeah…here you go," he places the medicines in a bag, then hands it to Mariah. She pays him.

"Thanks," she says.

"No problem," says Arek. He then turns to me. "It was nice talking to you Hilary. If you need anything to talk about, you know where to find me," he says with a smile.

I smile back. "I'll keep that in mind. And thanks, you were a great help."

As we left the Market, Mariah asks me, "So, what do you think of Arek?"

"He's really friendly," I say. "I told him about Tyson. Somehow, I just knew I could trust him."

"He is sweet. You can tell him anything, he's a great listener. And he'll give you good advice, too," Mariah says.

"Yeah, I noticed…wait, hold up. You left us alone so he could help me out with my issues, didn't you?"

She grins. "You're a fast learner. But I also went to get your gift," she adds.

"Which is very nice," I say.

She laughs. "That's what I'm here for."

**XxX**

By the time we get back, it's almost dark. We return to the Tatsuya's place, to see Mako and give her the medicines. She's lying on her bed, looking rather weary. Rika comes in.

"Oh, good, you brought them," she says, thanking Mariah as she gives her the bag.

"Are you feeling any better?" I ask Mako.

"A little," she whispers. "It's nothing much, actually. I only fainted."

"Doesn't mean you can't have us sympathize for you," says Mariah.

Mako smiles. "You guys are too much."

I turn to Rika. "Where's everyone else?" I ask, trying to sound casual (everyone else Tyson).

"They're all at the guest house, except Tyson," she says. "He said something about wanting to be alone."

My heart jumps, concerned. "Where'd he go?"

Rika shrugs her shoulders. "I dunno, he didn't say. Sorry."

As Mako coughs, I look at Mariah. She sees me and nods, knowing what I wanted to do. I stand up.

"I'm going out for a while. I won't be long," I say to the three of them, before heading out the bedroom. I run down the stairs, and before I know it, I'm surrounded by the darkness of the night.

At once I dash into the dark forest of trees, hoping to find the clearing that I had found Tyson in only a few days ago. I don't know what I'm going to do or say, I'm not even sure if he's there. All I know is that I want to be with him, wherever he is. I'm done with the fact that he's avoiding me. If it's something I did, I'll apologize a million times; I just want him to be near.

Sure enough, I can hear the distant gushing of water. A gleam of light ahead of me guides me to the clearing. I step in, noticing how much more beautiful it all looks at night. But all thoughts are gone as soon as my searching eyes land on Tyson, lying down on the grass and staring up at the star strewn sky.

"Um…Tyson?" I say, getting his attention. A soon as he hears me, he sits up, not meeting my eyes.

"Why are you here…?" he asks, his back facing me.

"I was looking for you…," I reply, feeling a slight pang at his words. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he says quietly. I know he's lying.

"So then, why did you come here?"

"I wanted to," I hear him mumble.

"That's not it, Tyson," I say. "You're not telling me something. In fact, you hardly spoke to me today. And when you did, those smiles you gave, they all looked fake. Why are you keeping your distance from me? If there's anything wrong, please, tell me, I want to help. I can't bear seeing you like this."

There's a long moment of silence.

"I came here to get away from you. I didn't want you near me."

Did I hear that right…?

The real me would yell. The real me would fire up and get angry. But instead, I drop to my knees, trembling. His words pierce through me, shattering my heart. I try to hold in tears, but I feel them stream down my face. Hot, stinging tears. I close my eyes shut, to hold it in, but it doesn't help. A suppressed moan escapes my mouth, taking with it my strength, and I simply sit there, crying.

"No!" I hear him cry. I hear the shuffling of feet, and next thing I know, Tyson's arms are spread around me. "No! I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. I didn't want to make you cry! I'm sorry, it was a stupid thing to say…please, don't cry…don't cry…I'm so sorry…,"

"So why did you say it, then?" I ask into his shoulder.

"I didn't mean it like that," he says, hugging me tightly, "its just, ever since what I did last time, I didn't know how to face you…I didn't think it was what you wanted…I was…afraid…,"

I look up at him. "So, do you…?"

"I do," he says, gently wiping my tears with his warm hand. "I just didn't know it before. But I do now, and my feelings won't ever change. I love you, Hil."

I beam up at him. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear those words from you, Tyson...,"

"Then let's make up for lost time," he says softly. My eyes flutter shut as I feel his mouth on mine.

At once I lose myself. I feel as light as a feather, feel like I can fly up to the stars. His kiss is just as I dreamed: gentle, loving, perfect. I wrap my arms around his neck, allowing him to take me over. I can't see anything, hear anything. All I feel is the love that I had kept hidden inside me fall out into the kiss. After what felt like an eternity or more, we break apart.

"Good enough?" he asks me.

I smile. "Perfect."

We walk over to sit in front of the waterfall, and Tyson holds me in his warm embrace. As we sit there comfortably, I feel like the happiest person alive. I think about what everyone else would say. But after a while I drop the thought, resting my head on Tyson's shoulder as he takes hold of my hand. We're together. Finally, after all this time, we're together. And I don't care what anyone says. As long as I have my Tyson, the rest of the world can go hang themselves.

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**Well, what do you think? I thought the title was pretty lame ( . I hope you liked this chapter!**

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	9. A Walk in the Morning

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. This chapter is in Tyson's P.O.V., and to me seems kind of rushed through, but I hope you still like it.**

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A Walk in the Morning

Wow. Now I know what they mean by being love-struck. I'm lying awake in my bed at 9 a.m., wondering why I'm not asleep. Especially considering how late Hilary and I came back last night (A/N: they didn't go over the limit).I turn to my side and shut my eyes, hoping that somehow sleep would overcome me. But the sunlight's too strong; I can see the redness inside my eyelids. I give up.

There's a knock on the door. "Who's there?" I ask.

"It's me," Hilary's muffled voice replies from the other side of the door.

As soon as I hear her voice, I sit upright, all thought of sleep vanished. Smiling to myself, I reply, "its open!"

There's a click, and in comes Hilary, holding a breakfast tray. Closing the door with her leg, she says, "Never knew you'd wake up so early. I thought I'd have to put sugar under your nose to get you up."

"I didn't think I would either," I laugh, as Hilary seats herself at the edge of my bed. I smell something good. Looking at the tray, I ask, "What you got there?"

"Pancakes," she says with a smile. "I made them myself, just for you!"

"How generous," I grin, reaching for one. But she snaps the tray from my reach.

"Wash up first," she orders me.

"But--"

"Go, now!"

"Fine…," I say, rolling my eyes as I get up reluctantly. Even if we're dating now, that won't stop Hilary's control over me. Grabbing my clothes from a chair, I walk myself to the bathroom. Once I finish and return to the bedroom, I find Hilary gazing out the window, breakfast tray left forgotten on the bed. She quirks her head my way as I come in.

"Okay, all done. Now can I have one? I'm starving," I ask, sitting beside her.

She looks at me suspiciously. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Aw, come on Hil, why would I lie to you?"

Crossing her arms testily, she says, "Prove it."

"Fine," I say, taking her face in my hands and giving her a kiss. I feel her astonishment at first, but then she relaxes. After a moment I break away, leaving her to judge my evidence.

"Well? Do you believe me now?" I question her triumphantly.

She quirks an eyebrow. "Minty fresh."

I take that as a yes, and start eating. "These are good," I comment.

She laughs. "That's what you say about everything you eat."

"But this is extra special," I say.

She smiles. "Thanks Tyson."

I grin, and continue eating. After a minute or so I notice Hilary watching me quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"They'll be here soon…," she says mysteriously.

"Who?" I ask, puzzled.

"_Them,_" she says, stressing the word with silent meaning. Now I get it.

"Oh, _them_…so?" I ask, going back to eating. Hilary places a firm hand on mine, stopping me. I look at her, startled.

"I didn't tell them yet," she whispers shamefully.

That makes me jump. "What?!"

"Shh!!!"

"Uh, right…what? Why didn't you? Damn it, we're gonna get bombarded, Hil!"

"Not if they don't find out…," she suggests.

"They will sooner or later…even now, they could be wondering why its taking you so long to deliver breakfast to me…even worse, they might be wondering _why_ you're delivering breakfast to me…," I say nervously.

"You're right. Then…I think I should go…," she says, standing up.

"Okay, but what will you say?" I ask.

"Umm…I'll say I couldn't get you to wake up fast enough…"

"Okay," I say, giving her the tray. But she pushes it back to me.

"You take it!" she says. "You know I'm no maid…even to you!"

I begin to protest, but her glare deepens and I give in. "Fine," I say. "You go. I'll catch up in a bit."

She nods, turning towards the door. She then pauses, and turns back to me, giving me a peck on the cheek before striding back to the door and dashing off. I can't help but grin as I flop back down on the bed, stretching my arms and legs as far as they can go. Despite the fact that we both could be in some trouble right now, I still have to say: am I one lucky guy or what?

**XxX**

There's murmuring coming from downstairs. So, they're all here. As quietly as I can, I place one foot on the first stair. Successful. Second foot on second stair…victory. Okay, I think it's safe. I take a few more careful steps down, making sure not to drop the tray I'm holding, until I can see the living room.

From what I can tell, Mariah, Rei, Max, Kenny and Kai are all facing the front of an armchair, while Gary is sitting on another chair, along with Rika, Yumi, Jade, and a healthy looking Mako, all standing firm. The main armchair has its back facing me, so I can't see who's sitting there, but I have an inkling that it's…

Alright, let's not think like that. But then…if it's not Hilary, who else can it be? I gulp as the silence is broken by Kai's stern voice.

"Where were you yesterday at twenty-two hundred?" he asks the person in the armchair, with narrowed eyes.

"Why can't you just say ten o' clock?" a voice barks back at him from the armchair. It's Hilary. And she's angry. Not a good sign.

"I'll ask the questions here!" Kai barks back at her. "Speaking of which, you're avoiding mine!"

After a pause, Hilary says, "none of your business."

"Hilary, it is our business, we want to know," Mariah says, more kindly than Kai.

"Well maybe I don't want you to know!"

"You don't have much choice, it seems," states Rei.

"Answer, or there will be severe consequences!" Kai snaps. Why I oughtta…

"Fine, whatever!" Hilary exclaims. "After I came back with Mariah from the market, we went to see Mako--"

"Is that true?" Max shoots the question at Mako.

"Uh, yes…," she says, slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

"Oh, so now you think I'm lying?" cries Hilary, infuriated.

"Anything's possible," says Kenny. "Continue."

Hilary growls before continuing. "After seeing Mako, I went to go look for Tyson in the forest--"

"And what gave you that idea?" asks Kai.

"That would be my doing," says Rika, lifting an arm in the air lazily. "But I only told her Tyson wasn't with the rest of us. I didn't know where he had gone."

Kai nods, rather sweetly, (which is very freaky once you think about it) then turns back to Hilary. "How did you know he'd be in the forest?"

"A hunch, I guess."

Kai keeps his glare, making Hilary exasperated. "I just knew, okay! Now can I please continue and get this over with?"

"Fine."

"Yeah, so…I went to look for him, and found him in this clearing. We did a little talking, and in the end, decided to sit there for a while."

"With Tyson?" asks Kenny, perplexed.

"Did he hurt you?" asks Rei.

"Did he make you feel uncomfortable?" asks Max.

I'm enraged! These guys have such little faith in me!

"Of course not!!" Hilary cries. "He did no such thing!"

"What time did you get back?" asks Kai.

"I don't know! I didn't have a watch with me."

"You're hiding something, Hilary…," says Mariah, looking hurt. "And you don't even want to tell _me_?"

"It's not like that, Mariah!" Hilary cries.

"So why don't you wanna tell us?" Kenny asks.

"If you mean you, Max, Rei and _Kai_, that's because it's not my job."

"Then who's is it?" asks Max.

"Its mine," I say, and in doing so bringing all eyes on me. I think I've had enough drama for one morning. I jump down the remaining steps, and stride towards the group.

"I'll tell you right here and now, Hilary Tatibana is my girlfriend. I love her, she loves me. Its nothing abstract, it's normal. Sure, we took a long time to figure it out, but we definitely don't need _this_. So if you don't mind," I grab Hilary's wrist and march her to the door, "we'll be leaving."

Everyone is silent. I take this opportunity to give Hilary a quick hug. "Sorry I took so long."

"No problem," she says, smiling.

As I open the door, applause breaks out. "Tyson," Kai says, "you have finally proven to me that you're…as much as I hate to say it…a man."

I'm speechless for a second, before finding my voice. "Uh, thanks Kai…I think…"

"Don't think I'm gonna forgive you all that easily, though!" says Hilary to all of them, including Kai. _Especially _Kai, probably. She then turns to me, beaming. "Let's get going, Romeo."

I grin down at her. "After you, Juliet."

As I shut the door behind us, I remember I still have the tray in my hand. Hilary sees it, and says, "Here, I'll take it."

Opening the door again, she throws the tray inside with force. It results in a loud thud. I think it hit someone…

"I hope it hit Kai," Hilary grins mischievously, closing the door again. I sweat-drop.

"So," I say, as we begin to walk, "where to?"

She shrugs. "I dunno, where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know this place all too well. It's all up to you."

She thinks for a while, and then says, "How about we just go for a walk? If it's okay with you."

I take her hand and grin down at her. "As long as it's what you want, I'm happy."

She blushes a little, but then says, "Then…let's go!"

**XxX**

We walk in some silence. I guess it still is pretty awkward for the both of us, I mean the whole relationship thing. It happened sooner than I had expected, and, what if I mess up? I've never been in a friendship-to-love kinda thing before.

Hilary's hand squeezes mine, breaking me from my thoughts. "What's up?" she asks, looking up at me questioningly. I look at her, and my worries seem to lift themselves from my mind, but only a little. And yet, she wants this, and she's happy for it. And if I do mess up, she'll tell me. Knowing her, she's not the type to shy away from her feelings. So then, why am I still so worried?

"Its nothing," I try to assure her, but I should know better. She's not convinced.

"You're lying," she states, narrowing her eyes at me.

I sweat-drop. "Don't say it like that!"

"So then?"

I sigh, exasperated. Hilary does the same, and I look at her, surprised. But I see her grinning, laughter at the tip of her tongue, which means she had been mocking me. And we both burst out laughing.

But all too soon, Hilary's expression becomes serious again. "So, what exactly is on your mind?"

"Well," I try to think of how to put this, "See how we're _together_ now…is it really what you want?"

"Of course, Tyson…why?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno…," I shrug, "I just feel like I'm gonna screw things up for us…for you…"

"Don't even think about it," she says, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "Everything will be fine, and I trust you with all my heart and soul. And, even if something does go wrong, we'll get it sorted out. But right now, why don't we just enjoy the time we have together?"

Her words moved me, but I'm still a bit discontent. Despite the strength in her that I know she has, she's still…delicate through my eyes. I don't want to do anything that would hurt her in anyway. As I think on this, the image of Hilary crying on the floor of that clearing appears in my mind, and I shudder at the thought. I hated seeing her hurt like that, and last night, I didn't even think my words would have hit her so hard, but they did. And things like that, I'm gonna have to watch out for.

"Arek!" Hilary suddenly cries, and I notice that we're approaching a nearby herb stand. Hilary waves happily at the guy manning it, who I'm assuming is Arek.

"Oh, hey Hilary!" he says, waving us over. "Good to see you again."

"Same here," she smiles at him. So they've met before? "Arek, this is Tyson. Tyson, this is Arek, I met him that day I came out here with Mariah."

"Oh," I say, eyeing him suspiciously.

Arek looks at me in awe. "Whoa, I can't believe I'm seeing this. Tyson, the World Champion beyblader!"

"Well…uh…hehe…"

He offers his hand for me to shake. "Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah," I say, taking it with slight reluctance. "Same to you."

"So," he says, turning to Hilary. "How are things?"

"Oh, everything's fine," Hilary replies casually. "You?"

"Same. So, did everything go well with…you know…?"

Huh? "Oh, about that," Hilary says, "it was Tyson…the one I told you about. And…we're together."

Arek's features show him to be surprised, but he grins. "Oh, that's great! I'm glad it worked out for you!"

"Thanks…"

He turns to me. "You're a lucky guy, Tyson, to have someone like Hilary."

"Yeah, I know," I say, throwing an arm around Hilary's shoulder and bringing her towards me in a cuddle. She hugs me back, and I'm glad to feel her warmth against me. Arek watches us with a smile. Then a girl walks up to us.

"Sorry I'm late," she says to Arek as she goes to his side of the stand. "Mum held me back to do the laundry."

Arek frowns at her. "Again?"

"Yup."

She looks to be about a year or two younger than us, with long, waist-length dark hair and bright hazel eyes, identical to Arek's, which makes me assume that they're siblings. She notices Hilary and me standing here, and then turns to her brother. "Customers?" she asks him.

"Nah, they're friends of mine, met them through Mariah," he tells her. Turning back to us, he says, "This is my sister, Airi. But be careful, her self-centeredness is highly contagious."

Airi gives her brother a light punch on his arm, before turning back to us. She looks at me, then Hilary, and does a double-take. Trust me; I've seen this before…

"Oh, my gosh!" she cries, eyes wide. "Oh my…are you Tyson…_thee_ Tyson Granger?!"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am," I say, giving her a smile which she seems to melt at. I give her my hand to shake, and she stares at it in disbelief. I sigh inwardly. Sure, at first I thought it was great that people (or more specifically, girls) loved me so much, but it can get real annoying after a while. I've yet to see a fan of mine who can just see me and shake my hand with a simple 'hey, how's it going?'

Slowly, Airi takes a hold of my hand and shakes it. About time, too, because my arm was beginning to get sore. "I…I can't believe…I'm actually…m-meeting you…," she stutters before letting go.

Arek rolls his eyes. "If you haven't noticed already, Airi's madly in love with you, Tyson."

Airi blushes, and softly tells Arek to shut up.

"_So_," says Hilary. I think she's getting annoyed. But we're even now, right?

"Um…who might you be?" Airi asks, as if she had just noticed Hilary standing there.

"Hilary Tatibana," she replies, "assistant coach of the Bladebreakers."

Airi is surprised, though I can see envy glowing in her eyes. "Really? Funny, I've never seen you on TV before."

Hilary's eyebrow twitches, and I know she's just been ticked off. "Well, now you know," she says, putting on a smile while wrapping her arm around mine, "and now you also know that I'm _thee_ Tyson Granger's girlfriend."

I must say, nice comeback. But did it have to include me? Airi is silent, glaring at Hilary, eyes suddenly filled with hatred. Arek tries to snap her out of it. "Uh…Airi?"

But Airi ignores him, and puts a sly smile on her lips. "You know," she begins, making sure her eyes never left Hilary's, "I was going to offer my hand for you to shake, but like Arek said, my self-centeredness is highly contagious—and I wouldn't want you to get more egotistical than you already are."

Uh-oh. Big mistake.

"YOU'D BETTER DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SMART MOUTH OF YOURS, JACKASS," Hilary yells, lunging towards a dumbfounded Airi, and I quickly pull her back, as she tries to free herself from my firm grip. "OR I'M GONNA HAVE TO—AHHH!!"

A man running by us shoves Hilary hard into the wooden stand, and without looking back, keeps going. "Hey!" Hilary begins to run after him, and I follow.

"Later!" I hear Arek call to us, but I ignore him. I've gotta stop Hilary before she goes insane. "Hil! Hey, Hilary!! What are you doing?!" I ask as I catch up to her.

"I'm gonna show these people that THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE MESSING WITH!"

"Do you have to? The guy bumped into you by accident!"

"He could've at least apologized!"

"Maybe he was in a hurry--"

"There he is!"

We approach a large crowd in front of some store. The man that had bumped into Hilary is standing on the outside of the circle, and Hilary runs up to him. Lucky for her he's short and chubby, because she takes a hold of the front of his shirt. "Who do you think you are, pushing me like that and not even turning back to apologize? Do you have any shame?! Are you inhuman?!"

I wouldn't be surprised if the guy thought Hilary to be inhuman. Frightened, he stutters, "Please—I w-was on my way here w-when I heard that my f-friend w-was robbed—I'm s-sorry if I h-hurt you…p-please…"

"Uh, Hil, I think you should let go," I suggest, and she eases off the guy's shirt, her face suddenly changed to sympathy.

I'm…so sorry," she says, suddenly embarrassed, "I don't know what came over me…"

"It's alright…," he replies, massaging his neck.

"You said your friend was robbed?" I ask the man, and he nods.

"Yes, he's the owner of this beyblading shop. He was robbed last night, he says. I came over to see him."

"A beyblading shop?" Hilary asks, and we exchange curious looks.

"Aye, the best in the village," the man replies. He then leads us to the centre of the queue, where a man is kneeling on the ground and sobbing.

"Haru! Are you alright?" says the guy that had bumped into Hilary.

"No!" the man on the floor says, who's probably the owner of the shop that got robbed. "They took it—they took my prized possession!" he cries, but our guy still looks confused, so Haru says "they took the Golden Blade!"

Our guy looks stunned. "But how? I thought you locked it up in a safe?"

"I don't know," Haru says, "all they left was a scratch that looked done by a claw, right on the door of the safe."

"But how's that possible? Bringing an animal along to a robbery?" I ask. Hilary rolls her eyes.

"It doesn't have to have been an animal, Tyson," she says. "It could've been something else—something that could leave a mark identical to a claw's."

This is too weird. "I'm gonna go in and see."

Hilary, astonished, says, "What? No, it could be dangerous!"

"Come on, Hil, how could something like this be dangerous?"

"Well--"

"You don't have to come if you're scared."

"I didn't say anything about being scared!"

"Okay then, let's go."

"No!"

"Fine," I say, shrugging my shoulders. I take a step inside, and, just as I expected, Hilary follows.

"I won't let you go alone," she says. I don't argue, because the inside of the shop is way too intriguing to be thinking of anything else. Glass doors are smashed; cabinet doors open here and there, cash register on the floor. Even the small chandelier light is in pieces on the floor.

"It's so dark," Hilary whispers behind me.

"Hold my hand and stay close," I tell her.

"Wow, I feel safe," she replies sarcastically, but takes my hand anyway.

Carefully stepping over the broken glass scattered on the floor, we make our way to the back. And, just as Haru had said, the safe was there, with a large claw mark on the front.

"Its open," I say, walking towards it. Opening the safe wider, I see that there's nothing inside. Then I remember what Haru had said: '_they took my prized possession'…_

"I wonder what the Golden Blade is?" I say out loud. Hilary points at a sign beside the desk. It read:

**Golden Blade**

_**An ancient blade passed on through generations of beybladers**_

_**Power unknown**_

_**Can be sold at a high price**_

"Well that's not much information," I say, disappointed. "Whoever stole it must've wanted it for money."

Just then, I hear a hissing sound coming from the ceiling. "Did you hear that?"

Hilary doesn't say anything, though I feel her trembling behind me. The sound is almost like a voice, threatening us, ordering us to get out…

Hilary's grip tightens on my hand. "Tyson…can we leave? This place is giving me the creeps…"

I turn to look at her, and she does look a bit frightened. "Yeah, okay," I tell her, and she follows me outside.

Haru and his friend are sitting on a nearby bench. When they see us, Haru stands up and looks at us questioningly. "Anything we should know of?" he asks.

"No," I say, "Not if there's something wrong with your air-conditioning system…" the man looks at me oddly.

"What are you trying to say?" Haru asks.

"Do you usually hear a hissing sound coming from the back?" I ask him.

"Hissing?" Haru asks. "No…why?"

"Well, we heard something like that just now, so…"

Haru shivers. "This is bad…what if my store is haunted?!"

"Don't think like that, I'm sure its nothing," our guy tells him. He then turns to us. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, Haru, could you tell us how you got the Golden Blade thingy in the first place?"

"My grandfather had given it to me when I was a child," Haru says. "But he passed away years ago, so if you're thinking of questioning him, there won't be any chance for that…Sorry."

"Oh," is all I say.

On our way back to the guest house, I'm lost in thought with the situation we had encountered just now. Sure, maybe someone had just wanted to sell the blade off somewhere, but then there could be another reason… and what about that hissing? What if it actually was a voice? And if it were, then where did it come from...? Ugghhh…too much thinking for me is not good. I should just let it all go.

Something hard and warm presses against my back. Its Hilary's head. "Hil? What's wrong?"

Lifting her head up, she says, "Nothing…," but her face looks ill and tired.

I turn to face her. "No," I say, while pressing a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up…are you okay?"

"I'm fine…my forehead is warm to you because your hands are cold," I'm still looking concerned, so she says, "that place just freaked me out, okay? I dunno why, I just…knew I had to get out of there…"

For some reason, I'm suddenly racked with guilt, thinking it's my fault. And I want more than anything right now to see her smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask.

"Hug," she says, spreading her arms out. I smile, and pull her to me while she wraps her arms around my neck, and we share a kiss that seems to express every emotion we're both feeling right now, allowing us to feel the pleasant light-headedness we'd been waiting for all morning. Then Hilary rests her head on my chest, and closes her eyes.

"Feeling better?" I ask her softly, running a hand through her hair.

"Much," she replies, smiling to herself. "Thanks."

"Sorry we couldn't do much together this morning," I apologize.

"That's okay," she says quietly. "This is all I need to love you more..."

I grin. "Anything for my Hilary…"

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**This was my longest chapter yet! I hope it was good enough.**

**REVIEWS PLZ!!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	10. Prince Tyson

**Hey! Chapter's up, though I don't have much to say, so on with the story.**

**P.S.- I disclaim the book "Losing Forever."**

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Prince Tyson

Hilary sighed as she stared up at the night sky. The sight was beautiful. Every star twinkled at its own rhythm, smiling down at her. They almost felt alive to her, and she wanted to wave to them and cry out a greeting.

The night was comfortable. Warm breezes played with her hair, and the trees danced to her amusement. All was quiet, but it was a welcoming silence, filled with whispering voices, laughing happily.

Hilary walked across the porch and sat at one of the steps. A pleasant shiver ran through her, and she brought herself in a cuddle. Then she thought of Tyson, and her heart warmed. She wasn't surprised though; he'd been on her mind quite a lot lately. It was hard to believe they had only been together for a few days, because ever since, they've been nearly inseparable. Hilary smiled at the thought.

"Hi Hilary."

Hilary jumped at the sound of the voice. She looked up to see someone standing in front of the house, a small distance away. Hilary squinted her eyes, before recognizing who it was.

"Oh, hello Jade," she said, beckoning Jade over to sit beside her. "Why are you up so late?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," Jade replied.

"I guess I couldn't sleep."

"Same here," Jade looked up at the sky, just as Hilary had, with a deep look in her eyes.

"So, you're a nighttime person?" Hilary asked.

Jade nodded. "Yeah. I like losing myself in the stars before they put me to sleep," after a pause, she said, "Time flies, huh?"

"What are you saying?" Hilary asked.

"Well, if you haven't noticed already, there's only a week left until you guys leave."

Hilary thought about this. "You're right…what with so much going on, I didn't even notice…"

"I don't think anyone else did either," Jade said. "I'll miss you guys when you leave."

"Well, there's still a lot of time…," Hilary said.

"Yeah, I guess…," said Jade. Another pause. Then, "Is it nice having a boyfriend?"

Hilary was slightly taken aback by the question. "Uh…why?"

"Just wondering…," Jade gazed at her hopefully. Hilary smiled.

"Yeah, it is nice. Really nice…"

"How nice?"

Hilary pondered on the question. "It's…nice to know that there's someone out there who cares for you, and thinks of you all the time...someone who understands you when no one else does. Someone who knows exactly what to do when something goes wrong, and would do anything in the world to put a smile on your face…that's how nice it is."

"That's sweet," Jade said.

"Did you ever want a boyfriend?" Hilary asked.

"I had one already."

Hilary was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, back at our village. But we broke up, and it wasn't really much," Jade said, and then rolled her eyes after seeing Hilary's shocked face. "I might _look_ like a ten-year-old, but don't forget, I'm only a year younger than you."

Hilary sweat-dropped. "Yeah…sorry…"

"It's alright...," Jade said, looking suddenly nervous. She then asked, "Um…does Kenny have a…girlfriend…?"

Hilary looked at her companion curiously. "No…why, are you hoping to go out with him?"

Jade blushed. "I'm not sure…"

Hilary grinned. "I'm sure he'd love to."

"You think?" Jade asked, and Hilary nodded. Jade stared back up at the sky, only this time with a hopeful smile playing at her lips, as if wondering whether it should show itself or not. She sighed pleasantly, and then asked, "Hilary, did you ever want to beyblade?"

"Why do you ask all these questions?" said Hilary, yet again taken aback by another sudden question.

"Just to make conversation," Jade replied. "I don't like awkward silences."

Hilary laughed. "I see," she then gazed at the stars dreamily. "Yeah, I did want to beyblade once. Really badly, too. I remember it was when I first joined the team, when the guys didn't really accept me as a member, especially Tyson. Once we got into a fight about it, even. Tyson said there was no point in me being with them, since I couldn't even spin a blade. That got me really upset."

"Bummer," Jade interrupted. "And he's actually your boyfriend now? I wonder how that came to be."

Hilary laughed before continuing. "Soon after he apologized, though, and became a lot friendlier. And I felt like I was truly a part of the team, so I didn't really mind that I didn't know how to beyblade."

Jade nodded. "They're really nice guys, then, huh?"

"Yeah. Like family…," Hilary said. She then stretched her arms, yawning.

"You should get some sleep," Jade suggested.

"Yeah…I think I'll go up now. What about you?" Hilary asked, as she stood up and walked towards the front door.

"I think I'll sit here for a while longer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…nice talking to you, Hilary."

"You, too Jade. See you in the morning." And with that, Hilary walked into the bedroom, and within seconds, drifted off to sleep.

**XxX**

It took Mariah only two steps into the guest house to get Tyson on his feet and confronting her about Hilary.

"Where is she?" he demanded her, barely giving her space to breathe.

"Um…where's who…?" Mariah said, confused, and startled by the sudden confrontation.

"Who else?" Tyson said impatiently, as if it were the stupidest question ever asked. Mariah still didn't realize who he was referring to. In fact, she was more concerned about the fact that she was about to trip down the front steps of the porch if Tyson were to force her down.

"Hilary!!" he yelled in her face. If it weren't for her being a girl, he would've grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

But then Mariah's temper rose. "If you could just move back a bit…," she smiled at him threateningly, while poking him in the ribs so he could take a few steps back, "I could tell you where your girlfriend is."

Tyson obeyed, rather annoyed with her.

"Thank you. Now where was I…," Mariah said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"You were gonna tell me where Hilary is…," Tyson told her.

"Ah…yes," Mariah said, keeping the scary smile that Tyson was completely oblivious to, "but before I do…" her face turned into something similar to a banshee, which, in Tyson's opinion, was a great comparison, especially since he realized she was about to sound like one, too.

"JUST WHO EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BOMBARDING ME WITH YOUR STUPID CONCERNS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, MR. BIGSHOT? I HOPE YOU DON'T THINK YOU OWN ME, BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU'LL BE SO DAMN SORRY THOSE SICKENING THOUGHTS EVEN ENTERED YOUR HEAD--"

"I don't think I own you! I was just asking--"

"_JUST_ ASKING? YOU WERE DEMANDING ME FOR HER WHEREABOUTS! _DEMANDING_! YOU _SO _DO NOT KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH--"

"I'm _sorry_, okay! There's no need to--"

"NO NEED?! I HAVE TO GET THIS THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD! IF YOU THINK THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU, THEN YOU BETTER THINK TWICE NOW BEFORE YOU--"

"Whoa, Mariah, chill! What's happening here?" Rei asked.

"I think…my eardrums just burst…but…other than that, I'm…feeling…_great_," Tyson said to Rei, who had come outside to see what all the commotion was about. A huffing Mariah stood glaring at Tyson, who backed away from her, frightened.

"Uh…Mariah?" Rei said.

"…She's still at my place…said she was still tired…," Mariah said. Tyson stared at her questioningly, before it hit him that she was speaking of Hilary.

"Oh…alright…thanks…," Tyson jumped down the stairs as quickly as possible, fast enough to get away from Mariah. Inwardly, he wondered how Rei could fall for someone like that…

**XxX**

Running up to the White Tiger house, Tyson found the door to be open and went inside. He silently tip-toed his way into the kitchen, where he found Hilary making herself tea. Once he was right behind her, he placed his hands over her eyes.

Hilary let out a gasp, and quickly kicked him hard in the shin, making him stumble.

"Ouch!" Tyson yelled, clutching his leg in pain while hopping on the other foot. "What was that for?"

"Oh! Tyson, its you!" Hilary cried in realization.

"Yeah, I think I figured _that_ out already," Tyson said, grabbing a chair from the dining table and seating himself to massage his hurt shin.

Hilary pulled out her own chair and sat next him. "Tyson, I am _so_ sorry," she apologized. "I thought you were a burglar, or…"

"And the possibility of _me_ never crossed your mind?" Tyson asked her. She shook her head no.

"Well, you shouldn't have scared me like that," she said, defending herself, "how'd you get in, anyway?"

"You left the door open, smarty."

Hilary watched him carefully. His face showed him to be frustrated. "Tyson, don't be mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Yes, you are.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Tyson, look at me," Hilary said. He didn't wish to comply, but she waited and stared at him until his eyes couldn't help but meet hers, locking their gaze. Then, "You looked real funny hopping around like that, you know."

He seemed angry at first, but then his face broke into a reluctant smile, and they both burst out laughing. So for the next hour, the pair sat there talking cheerfully with each other, and Tyson told her about his encounter with Mariah that morning, which got Hilary crying with laughter, finding it hilarious. Then, Hilary told him of her conversation with Jade the night before.

"Well, well," Tyson said, impressed after having heard about Jade's feelings for Kenny. "Looks like the Chief's finally got girls after him."

That earned him a slap on the shoulder. "What?" he asked Hilary.

"You make it sound as if Kenny is unattractive!"

"Well, I can't tell if he's attractive or not!"

Hilary rolled her eyes. "You're so conceited."

"How am I being conceited?"

Hilary turned to face him. "You can't think you're the only good looking guy there is!"

"Well, no…but _you_ think so, don't you?" Tyson asked her with a grin. "That I'm the best looking guy there is?"

Hilary was silent for a moment, eyes focused at her tea. "Different people have different tastes…," she finally said.

"Ha!" Tyson jumped up, the pain in his leg suddenly vanished, and cried, "You _do_ think I'm the best looking guy there is! Ha ha ha! I knew it!"

"Tyson…," began Hilary, who was blushing into her tea.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," she said, but she was smiling nonetheless. Tyson leaned down to kiss her.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he said, sitting back down in his chair after they parted lips. Hilary let out a murmur of protest, but Tyson ignored that. Then he noticed a printed out sheet of paper lying on the table before him. "What's this?"

"Hmm?" Hilary looked up to see what he was looking at. "Oh, that. I tried getting some info on the Golden Blade, but I didn't really get much."

"Oh…when did you do this?" he asked.

"Yesterday. When you went off beyblading with the guys, I decided to check it out at an internet cafe."

"Smart idea…" Tyson said, beginning to read.

"Yeah, well…I can't believe no one else cared about it, though," she said, referring to when she and Tyson had told Mariah and the others about their encounter at the beyblading shop. It turned out that none of them had ever heard of such a thing as a 'Golden Blade', and insisted that the store owner must've just given the name to his favourite blade or something like that.

"Well…after reading this, I can't blame them," Tyson said, looking up from the paper. "Sounds like there's no such thing as a Golden Blade."

"Ugh, Tyson do you ever listen? I said I couldn't get any good stuff on it. All that paper has is how some low life idiot decided to paint all his kitchen knives a golden colour…I don't even know why someone would bother putting that up on the net, either," Hilary said.

"So then why'd you print it?"

"I hadn't read it before I printed."

"Smart, Hilary…"

"Shut up!" she snatched the paper away from Tyson, who was guffawing in amusement. "Its not funny! I got influenced by the title, okay?"

"Right Hil…great excuse!" Tyson said, still laughing. Hilary was about to retaliate, when a knock on the door made them both jump.

"Who could that be?" Hilary wondered aloud.

"I'll go see," Tyson said. He walked out of the kitchen and into the sitting room, where he peeked through the window. It was a mob of girls. A mob of screaming girls with signs that said, 'We Love Tyson' on them.

"What the…?" Tyson quickly shoved the curtains closed, heart thumping. He shouldn't be seen by them…

"Who is it?" Hilary called from the kitchen. Tyson didn't know how to answer her, so she came to see for herself. Standing beside an awestruck Tyson by the window, she pulled the curtains open a little. "Oh…my…"

Just then, a familiar voice boomed out through a loudspeaker. "_Tyson! We know you're in there, and you must come out!"_

"_Airi…,"_ Hilary muttered, clenching her fists. "What is _she_ doing here?!" Sure enough, a girl with dark hair flowing gracefully behind her ran up to the front with a loudspeaker. Tyson gulped.

"_Tyson!"_ Airi called out, "_for more than a year, the 'Prince Tyson' fan club has been dreaming of seeing you in person. We will not let this chance of meeting our beloved pass by us!"_

"Oh, _please,_" Hilary said, annoyed. "'Prince Tyson'? And I thought the guy with the knives was a low life."

Tyson let out a nervous chuckle. "Hehe…yeah…"

Hilary looked at him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of these people! Just go out there and tell them to be off…" she grabbed him by the arm and literally dragged him to the door. Opening it, she gave him a slight push.

At once, deafening screams came from the crowds as they snatched Tyson and brought him into the middle of everyone. Hilary watched as he simply stood there, frightened by the batting of eyelids and stepping away from those who were applying thick lipstick. Hilary's temper rose.

"Hey!" she cried, entering the mob. "Get away from him!"

"And who are you to tell us what to do?" a sneering voice came from the crowd.

"That's Hilary," Airi appeared, glaring at Hilary. "She _claims_ to be Tyson's girlfriend."

Angry screams came from the crowds after those words, as Hilary was bombarded. But before she could push them off, four beyblades came spinning out of nowhere, and the girls, frightened for their nails, ran for safety under a large tree only a small distance away. Only Airi stayed put.

The blades spun back to the hands of Rika, Yumi, Mako and Jade. They stood glaring at Airi, with disgusted looks on their faces.

"And who are you?" Airi asked coldly. "Another fan club?"

Rika snorted. "For Tyson? Yeah, right."

"It's a shame how fandom goes beyond limits…," Yumi stated sadly.

"It gets scary sometimes," Mako added.

"Skip the lecture," Jade said, "Let's get 'em!"

Rika grabbed the back of Jade's shirt, pulling her back. "Sorry, squirt," she said, "we can't fight them like this."

Airi cackled out loud. "If you're not going to fight us, then what exactly do you plan to do?"

Mako smirked. "Its plain and simple," she said, pulling out her blade once more. "We're just gonna do…this!"

She launched her blade towards the tree under which the girls where hiding, making them jump. The other three sisters launched their own blades, and the fan club girls were so frightened they decided to leave.

"Hey!" Airi yelled after them. "You can't just leave like that!"

"Can we fight now?" Jade asked impatiently.

"Well," Rika began, turning to a nervous looking Airi, "let's ask our opponent if she's ready."

Airi glared at them hatefully. Taking a few steps back, she said, "I-I just had my manicure done this morning…" she stumbled on a stone, then, with one last glance at them all, ran back to whatever place she had come from.

Tyson, who had been watching the whole scene with his breath held, exhaled. He then turned to the sisters gratefully. "Thanks…a lot. I don't know what I would've done…"

Mako smiled at him. "Don't mention it, Tyson."

"Yeah," Rika said. "They were getting annoying, anyway."

"Hilary!" Jade said. "Are you okay?"

Hilary grinned at her. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Though I would've loved to give that Airi a nice knock out…"

The group laughed, and Tyson and Hilary caught each others' eyes, exchanging sweet looks.

"Oh, but look at the mess…," Yumi said, looking at the ground that was covered in posters and pink confetti. "Mariah isn't gonna like this, right in front of her house…"

"I'll clean it up," Hilary said. But Tyson objected.

"No way, Hil," he said, taking her hand and walking her to the front door. "I won't let you suffer because of me. I'll do the cleaning."

"And I'll help," Mako added.

"Oh, Tyson…," Hilary began.

"You can thank me later," he said softly, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. Hilary smiled as he went back down to the sisters. She then closed the door and went into the kitchen. Her leftover tea was cold. She looked at the clock. It was 12:46 a.m. She didn't want to go rest or anything, since she wasn't tired…

Hilary went upstairs and opened up her bag. Inside was a book she had brought with her, called _Losing Forever. _She brought it out and, lying down on her bed, opened it and was soon lost in its own world.

**XxX**

"Hilary?" Mariah opened her bedroom door to find Hilary reading a book. "There you are…you missed lunch."

"Did I?" Hilary rose from where she lay, rubbing her eyes. "I guess I lost track of time…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Mariah watching her strangely. "What is it?"

"Hilary, did you and Tyson…you know …break up…?"

Hilary stared at her friend, startled. "What? Of course not. Why?"

Mariah's eyes widened. "Then…oh, no…Hilary…"

"Mariah, what is it? What's wrong?" Hilary asked, standing up. Mariah looked at the floor and shook her head. "Does it have to do with Tyson?" Hilary asked her.

"Hilary…I saw…," Mariah tried to say, but wasn't able to get the right words.

"Saw what?" Hilary asked, getting concerned.

Mariah sighed. "I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't tell you…so go ahead and see for yourself. The scene downstairs. But I'm not going with you…I don't want to see how you'd take it. But all I can say is…" Mariah looked at Hilary with sincere eyes, "I'm really sorry…"

"Mariah…," Hilary began, but she was cut-off.

"No," Mariah said. "Just, go…and see…"

Hilary wanted to ask more questions, but then decided to just do what Mariah said. And besides, her curiosity was beginning to get impatient…just _what _was it about Tyson that made Mariah talk like that? And, why had she asked if the two of them had broken up?

Hilary raced down the steps. Nearing the door, she took a quick glance out the window. The mess that had been there earlier on was cleared. She grabbed the doorknob, swung the door open and—

She froze. Every cell in her body seemed to have stopped moving. Except her heart; her heart was beating faster than it ever had.

Tyson was standing there, not too far from the house. He looked fine, other than that one little detail that changed everything for Hilary. Tyson's arms were wrapped around the waist of someone, in a tight embrace. And that same someone had her lips practically glued to his. As Hilary watched, Tyson's eyes met hers. He broke his mouth away from Mako's, though their lips were still mere inches apart. His face broke into a wide smirk.

And with every moment that passed with their gazes locked, a piece of Hilary's heart shattered into a sharp and painful shard, which slowly ripped at a piece of her soul.

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**I hope you liked the chapter. I got the whole 'Prince Tyson' thing from the 'Prince Yuki fan club' in Fruits Basket, though I doubt it was as humorous…**

**Anyways,**

**REVIEWS PLZ!!**

**Muffinsweetz**


	11. Two Endings, New Beginning

**Hi, and sorry for the delay. From last chapter, if you thought that wasn't Tyson kissing Mako, well…uh…it was!! But before you start hating on him, read on…**

**Here's chapter 11 for ya!**

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Two Endings, New Beginning

I watch, breathless, until I can bear it no longer. I turn and go back inside, shutting the door harder than I had meant to. But why should I care? My life is basically ruined. I run for the stairs.

"Hilary?" I hear Mariah say. But I ignore her and keep going. I'm sorry Mariah, but if I say anything, I swear I'll burst into tears.

"I can't talk right now," I simply say, running up the stairs.

"But--"

"Mariah, if you're my friend, you'll understand!" I shut the door to the bedroom. Flopping down on my bed, I bury my face in my pillow. I want more than anything to cry right now, to force the tears out. But no matter how much I will it, the tears won't come, because inside of me is denial. I still don't believe what I have just witnessed was for real. Or maybe I just don't want to.

But I know it is. And it disgusts me. Why would he do that? _Why?_ The smirk that he had given me is still stuck in my mind, haunting me. And Mako…let's just say if she were here, her lips would be glued to nobody for a while. Just the thought of her makes me want to enter a room filled with nothing but glass, and smash it all to bits and pieces. But the real question is:

What have I ever done to him to make him do this to me?

For the remainder of the day, I stay in my room. The last people I want to see are Tyson and Mako, and I really feel like just being alone. Mariah comes a few times, trying to get me out, but to no avail. I feel bad about this; really, because I know she wants to help. But I really need the time alone to calm my nerves. I have to be perfectly sure that it wasn't all just a nightmare. Sure that it actually happened.

**XxX**

"Hilary, get up."

I open my eyes. It's morning, next day. "What…?" I mumble, sitting up. My stomach grumbles at once. I hadn't eaten yesterday, and I'm kind of hungry.

"Time to go to the guest house," Mariah replies. Like nothing happened. Like everything was normal. Like a certain person didn't get her heart ripped out the day before.

"No," I say, looking away.

"You know you can't stay in here forever…," Mariah protests.

"Yeah? Well what would you have done if _Rei_ were to cheat on _you_?" I ask her, firing up. I'd _rather_ stay up here for the rest of my life, than have to face all of life's downs with no ups. And I don't care if I'm being cowardly, if I'm just hiding myself from the world and all the bullshit it has to offer. I couldn't care _less_.

And yet, I hope for Mariah to be confused, to ask me what I was talking about, or to say something that would prove that Tyson had not kissed Mako yesterday. But Mariah simply sighs. "I know, Tyson was an asshole to do this to you, but…please, don't beat yourself up for it."

The tears that had been longing to pour out of my eyes finally do. To hear it from someone else is enough to make it true. But why must it be? For once in my life, I actually fell in love, true love. It wasn't just a stupid puppy crush either. It felt real to me. And if I can't trust Tyson, who can I trust?

"Oh, no…Hilary, don't cry," Mariah says, putting a hand on my shaking shoulder. I feel like a child, so new to everything. No experience.

"It's just, so _hard_, Mariah…I really thought that he…was the one…"

"I know," Mariah says sympathetically, hugging me. Its exactly what I need. "I thought so too."

**XxX**

I enter the guest house alongside Mariah, not knowing what to expect. At the door, we were both greeted casually by nearly everyone. Now, as we walk towards the kitchen, I begin to feel calm and my nervousness is slowly easing.

Then Mako shows up. My heart flips, as if it wants to jump out of my body to go beat the girl up itself.

"Hey, Mariah. Hi, Hilary," she says to us cheerfully.

I simply stare as Mako walks by, just like that. She actually had the nerve! I turn to Mariah. "Did she—did she just…?"

Mariah is also surprised. She nods. "Yeah. But don't say anything. Remember, if you're gonna dump Tyson, you're gonna have to do it smoothly."

I stop dead in my tracks, causing Mariah to look back at me questioningly. "I have to…_dump_ him…?" I ask her.

"Well, obviously! Do you want a boyfriend that's gonna go off romancing with other girls behind your back?!" Mariah exclaims in a loud whisper.

"Well…no…," I say, but I'm not so sure. I am, of course, angry with him, definitely. But, surprisingly…I hadn't thought of breaking up. Maybe there could be something logical that could explain it all…?

Mariah practically drags me into the kitchen, where everyone is sitting, including Tyson. My heart jumps. I don't think I can do this.

"Hey, Hil! Where were you yesterday?" he asks. Me. But I can't find my voice, so Mariah answers him for me.

"She wasn't feeling well," she says, rather coolly. Tyson recognizes the tone, and just says, 'oh', but he gives me a look that means he is going to ask me more on it, later. Perfectly casual.

Why is he acting so normal?

As we sit to eat, I pull out a small piece of paper and a pen and scribble, _why'd you lie to him?_ on it. I pass it to Mariah, who reads it, then scribbles back, _because, when you announce the break up, you're gonna throw the truth, the fact that you know what he's up to, at his face unexpectedly, and he'll have nothing to say._

I crumple up the paper after reading it, and nod to my food. I'm getting serious butterflies in my stomach, and Tyson keeps throwing me questioning glances, making me feel worse! Then conversation breaks out.

"It's a nice day out," Yumi says, "where should we go?"

"How about the amusement park?" Mako perks up. I hate her so much…

Rika rolls her eyes. "Yeah. So you can go on those love boats, or whatever, with Tyson?"

Okay, I think I hate Rika more.

"No!" Mako cries, though she's turning red. But Tyson, who just so happens to be sitting beside her, is silent. I wonder why?

"_Really,_" Rika keeps on going, "I'm sure Tyson would love to, wouldn't you Tyson?"

I stare hard at my breakfast, not wanting to see Tyson's face. I want nothing more to throw my cereal at him, yell at him to deny what Rika's saying. No reply comes from him, though. But I curse at Rika in my head; doesn't she know that Tyson already has a girlfriend? Or did Mako decide to go tell her sisters about her little kiss, too?

For a few more minutes, I watch as Mako steals a few glances at Tyson. It makes me sick. I abruptly stand up. "I'm going out," I announce, drawing all eyes toward me. And without another word, I walk out of the kitchen. Behind me, I hear Tyson call my name, but I don't respond. I've had enough.

**XxX**

Today, unfortunately, is scorching hot. Seriously, I feel as if I'm gonna bake out her in the sun. I solve this problem by walking under the heavenly shade of the trees, and, once I do, my mind falls on that same, annoying subject: the _kiss._ I swear I don't want to think about it, but the image is stuck in my head. I think of Tyson's arms around Mako, the same pair that used to hold _me_ in embrace. My heart aches at the thought, but I refuse to let it go. I'm hoping that at one point, all the pain might leave me, so then it won't hurt to think about it anymore. But the more I'm hoping, the less it seems possible.

I'm about to let out a sigh of grief, when I hear a familiar voice calling me. I turn around, and I swear something hits my heart. Hard.

It's Tyson.

"Hil…where'd…you go…?" he pants, heavily. He ran all the way here. To throw more lies at me.

I don't know if its something he said, or just the mere fact that he's here before my eyes, but I'm pissed off. At him. Big time.

"Why would _you_ care?" I shoot back at him.

Tyson looks at me, puzzled. "Hilary…why are you so upset?"

Oh, _please._ As if he doesn't know. "Why do you think?!" I ask him, as if it's the most obvious thing. Well, it is, actually.

"I…I don't know," he says, "I don't know what I even did…," he comes closer, reaching out his hand to place on my shoulder.

I take a step back. "Don't touch me."

Was that a flash of anger in his eyes just now? "Look," Tyson says, jaw clenching. "Hilary, you're making no sense--"

"Well neither are you!" I burst. "Tell me, Tyson, how many girls have you kissed in this past week?" I turn on my heel, and storm off, not even bothering to look back.

**XxX**

"You _broke up_?" Arek asks, wide-eyed.

I'm at Arek's herb shop, since there's really no other place I want to be right now. And Arek did say I could come to him whenever I wanted to talk, so, why not? I just told him about the whole Tyson drama, and he listened very attentively, with interest.

"Yup," I answer his question, "but I didn't say anything official, like, 'we're over,' or anything. I just sort of…yelled at him and walked off."

Arek nodded somberly. "Wow," he says, "I never knew Tyson could be such…," he trails off.

"An asshole?" I finish his sentence for him.

He shrugs. "Say it however you want," he says. Then he smiles at me. "I'm just glad you chose to confide this to me."

It's my turn to shrug and smile. "I needed someone to talk to, and…you were the best choice for me."

Arek gives me typical advice, however. He tells me to just 'hang in there' and not take it all too hard. To just let it all sink in, and then get over it. But, I'm grateful nonetheless; at least he's trying to help.

"So, Airi told me about what happened with her fan club yesterday," Arek says, a grin playing at his lips. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, right," I say, recalling the little incident. After I saw Tyson and Mako kiss, I completely forgot about everything else. "It was…weird," I say, for lack of a better word.

Arek laughs. "I told you. She's head over heals for Tyson."

"Well, you can tell her he's available now," I say.

"Are you serious?" he looks at me, astonished. "You mean, you'd actually let her?"

I nod. "Yup. If she wants him so much, she can have him. But once she finds out the kind of player Tyson is, I'm sure she'll be way over him."

"So, are you still upset about it all, or are you cool with it?" Arek asks, leaning on the table and resting his chin in his hand.

I'm silent for a moment, thinking. "I'm…not so sure," I finally say with a shrug. The truth is, I don't really know how I feel about it now. Sure, at first I was furious, but then that turned to sadness and now…it's like a mixture of all different kinds of feelings welling up inside me. Anger, grief, betrayal, longing…so much that its hard to put into words.

Arek pats me on the shoulder sympathetically. "Just…don't worry too much about it. I'm sure that in the end, everything will turn out okay."

I smile, wishing that I could be as optimistic. But I can't; this is reality, of course. I bid him goodbye, then carry on with my walk. To where? I have no idea. As I ponder on this question, I hear a snobby voice come from behind.

"_You _again?"

I turn to see Airi standing before me, arms crossed with a scowl on her face. I _so_ do not need this. "Yeah, its me. Why?" I ask her coldly.

"Well, its funny seeing you here without your…_boyfriend_," she hisses the last word, as if its poison to her tongue. I almost laugh.

"He's my boyfriend no longer," I say, and Airi raises her eyebrows, clearly shocked. "So you can do whatever you want with him. I couldn't care less."

"You're…joking, right?" she asks, shaking. A smile is tugging at her lips, I can tell. Honestly, does she worship Tyson or something? _Get a life!_

"Yeah, I'm joking," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Clearly that's why no one's laughing."

Airi simply glares at me. And for once, I don't have an urge to go and claw her eyes out. I'll just let it be. So, I'm about to walk by her, when this guy shoves by me, hard. Have I been here before?

I turn to see who it is, and, coincidentally, it's that same guy that bumped into me last time. Um, déjà vu? "You?" I say when he sees me.

"You?" is his identical reply.

"Uh, _freaks?_" Airi interrupts. Okay, for calling me a freak, I am reconsidering the clawing-the-eyes-out thing. "What's happening here? Do you two, like, know each other?"

The guy ignores her, much to my pleasure, and speaks to me. "You're that girl from before!" when I nod, he continues, "I need your help, quickly. Follow me!" he then grabs my arm, and leaving an awe-struck Airi (probably because she was completely ignored), breaks into a run with me struggling behind him.

"Uh, whoa there, slow down," I say, pulling my arm away, "what's going on?"

"I'll explain once we get there. Now, hurry!" he keeps running, though this time without reaching for my arm, which I'm grateful for. We're at it for about another five minutes until we finally arrive at—why am I not surprised?—the beyblading shop.

"Okay, we're here. Now, spill; what's going on?" I urge him.

"I-I don't know," he says, eyes bulging. "There's been another accident, I think. I just got a call from Haru, and he sounded like…like he was in serious pain. I couldn't exactly understand what he was saying, but I think he told me to come," he runs a hand through his sweaty hair. "I don't understand this, first the robbery, and now what?"

I take a minute to let this sink in. It really is odd. Something's up alright.

So, why am I still standing here?

"Let's go inside," I say confidently, though inside I feel the beginnings of jitters.

"Are you sure?" the man asks. I look at him. He may be a physical adult, but I think that inside, he's still a boy. A small, shy boy. I feel bad for him. He shouldn't have to go through all this…suspense.

"Not really," I admit, "but what else is there to do?"

"Nothing…I guess…," he says.

"So then…are you up for it?"

He nods bravely, swallowing hard. He looks nervous, but he follows me inside nonetheless. The place looks pretty much the way it did before. But if I'm not mistaken, it might even look…neater. Cleaner, like someone had come to arrange the little that could've been furnished: a few books were put back in shelves, the dust on the ground was swept, and the chandelier pieces were also swept to a near corner.

"Wow…," I hear the man say under his breath. He's thinking the same thing.

"Yeah…," I mutter. I scan through the room, and spot a door on the far right. The same door that Tyson and I (my heart does a back flip at the thought of him) had gone through to see the safe that once held the Golden Blade. "Let's go in there," I say, pointing at said door.

"O-okay," he says behind me.

We step over pieces of wood, but that's just about it. Once we reach the door, I clasp my hand on the doorknob. There's some sort of vibe around here that's freaking me out, the same way I felt last time I was here. But its stronger now. And colder. I try to ignore all this, as I turn the knob and the door swings open.

The man behind me gasps.

I nearly faint.

A body lies sprawled on the floor before us, blood surrounding it. Underneath the head is a pool of dark red.

Its Haru.

"Is…is he…," the man asks me, voice cracking.

I look away from the horrid scene. "I…I d-don't know…"

**XxX**

As I leave the marketplace, I hear the distant screams of sirens. The police have arrived.

As soon as we had left the beyblading shop, we called the police. My companion was in total shock, and I felt completely nauseous. When I told him I was leaving, he didn't even look at me.

Right now, I'm struggling to walk. Haru's dead body (as we later found out) scared me. I know it wasn't anything accidental, it was murder. And I have a feeling its linked to the robbery. I shake my head. How will I say this to the others?

As I reach the White Tiger house I see someone sitting on the porch. When he sees me approaching, he gets up, and walks toward me. What does Tyson want with me? Shouldn't he be busy with Mako? I feel like screaming!

"So," he says. "How was your little trip?"

"And you care because…?" I ask him.

"Of course," he says, "you're not gonna tell me. 'Cause you know I won't like it."

"Won't like what?" I ask. What is he talking about?

"You know," there's anger in his voice now, "the fact that you left me to go flirt with another guy."

"What?!" I cry. He can't be serious!

"I follow you to the marketplace, wanting to know what's wrong. And what do I see? You, flirting with that damn Arek. So I left. Care to explain?"

I think I'm gonna burst.

"Oh, is that what you saw? _Me_, flirting? Honestly, Tyson, what game are you playing?!"

"You're still not making any sense, Hil! I don't understand why you're so angry with me!"

"Oh, _sure_! If you think there's no reason for me to be upset after watching you kiss Mako, then you're more of an idiot than I thought!"

Tyson looks awestruck. He wasn't expecting me to know. Ha!

"You…you think I kissed _Mako_? You must be delusional!" he says.

"You know, Tyson, if you wanted to cheat on me, you should've thought of a better place to do it!"

"Hilary, I would _never--_"

But I don't want to hear it. "Don't try to win it when it's already done," I say, fighting back tears. "Tyson…we're over."

I walk past him towards the house.

"I don't understand…you don't think I loved you? Hilary, I…," I hear him say.

"Save it, Tyson!" I yell over my shoulder, back facing him. I don't want him to see the tears streaming down my face. "And by the way, you can tell the others that Haru's dead. I found this out while I was _flirting_."

I step inside the house, and shut the door behind me.

It didn't feel good.

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**So, what'd you think? Sorry if the title didn't make much sense. It made little to me too…**

**REVIEWS PLZ!!**

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